Arizona Homebuilders Push Back Against Groundwater Rules

As Arizona faces rapid population growth and a shifting climate, long-standing groundwater regulations are coming under pressure in courtrooms, boardrooms, and expanding desert suburbs.

Developers and state regulators are increasingly at odds over how to manage Arizona’s limited water resources, with the future of housing, farming, and environmental sustainability at stake.

“When the Groundwater Management Act was passed in 1980, it really focused on the urban areas,” said Rita Maguire, attorney and former director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “It was the five major population centers for the state. So places outside of what we call active management areas were essentially unregulated.”

Experts agree Arizona’s role in regional Colorado River negotiations will be key, as the state navigates mounting pressure on its water systems.

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