Pinal AMA Municipal Conservation Program

Water Management

Pinal AMA Municipal Conservation Program

Municipal water providers include cities, towns, private water companies, and irrigation districts that deliver groundwater for non-irrigation uses. The Department regulates those providers serving more than 250 acre-feet of water annually as large municipal providers. Those serving 250 acre-feet or less annually are regulated as small municipal providers. Municipal providers that as of January 1, 1990 were annually serving untreated water to at least 500 persons or supplying at least 100 acre-feet of untreated water during a year are regulated under the municipal conservation program as large untreated providers.

The municipal sector in the Pinal AMA includes residential, commercial, and industrial uses and accounts for nearly 35,000 acre-feet, or about 3 percent of the AMA’s total annual water use. Although municipal use of Central Arizona Project (CAP) water began in 1992, the municipal providers that serve water to the AMA’s Five incorporated municipalities (Casa Grande, Coolidge, Eloy, Florence, and Maricopa) are still largely dependent on pumped groundwater. Use of reclaimed wastewater (effluent) is steadily increasing but serves only a small portion of municipal demand. Moderate to rapid growth is expected in the municipal sector as new residents continue to move to the area.

Third Management Plan Conservation Requirements for Municipal Providers

Chapter 5 of the Third Management Plan

contains the Municipal Conservation Program. For large municipal providers serving water for domestic uses, the Municipal Conservation Program consists of the Total Gallons Per Capita per Day (GPCD) Program, the Alternative Conservation Program (ACP), and the Non-Per Capita Conservation Program (NPCCP).

The Total GPCD Program allows for annual recalculation of the total GPCD components, with conservation reductions ranging from zero to 7 percent applied to residential GPCD rates. Non-residential GPCD rates are capped at baseline levels for each provider, while lost and unaccounted for water cannot exceed 10 percent.

The ACP, like the Total GPCD Program, calls for reductions in the residential GPCD rate, but does not hold providers regulated under this program to non-residential use requirements. Instead providers must implement a series of water conservation measures. The ACP also requires that providers be designated as having an assured water supply.

In 2007, legislation was enacted requiring the Department to modify the Third Management Plan (TMP), to replace the previously adopted NPCCP with a new NPCCP. In May 2008, the Director adopted modifications to Chapter 5 of the TMP to comply with the 2007 legislation. The new NPCCP requires a large municipal provider regulated under the program to implement water conservation measures within its service area, including a public education program, a metering program and one or more additional water conservation measures. A large municipal provider that is not designated as having an assured water supply that is not regulated as a large untreated water provider or an institutional provider is required to be regulated under the new NPCCP beginning January 1, 2010, or the date that the provider's profile is approved by the Department, whichever is later. Although, large municipal providers designated as having an assured water supply are not required to be regulated under the new NPCCP, they may elect to be regulated under it.

Other programs, including the Large Untreated Provider Program, the Institutional Provider Program, and the Small Provider Program, are also included in the Municipal Conservation Program for the TMP. These Programs are not affected by the 2008 modifications.