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Recharge Program Overview
Competition for the use of water in Arizona
continues to increase as each year brings the State more
people, new development, and new industry. All uses are
dependent upon a finite water supply. The challenge of water
management in Arizona is to satisfy current and future needs.
Satisfying those needs requires innovative solutions, one of
which is the recharge program.
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City of Tucson-
Sweetwater Recharge Facility |
For decades, more groundwater has been
pumped from Arizona’s aquifers for agricultural, municipal,
and industrial uses than has naturally recharged back into the
aquifers. This imbalance has left some aquifers significantly
depleted. Using renewable supplies and recharging water
underground reduces this imbalance.
To encourage the direct use of renewable
water supplies, the recharge program restricts the type of
water that may be stored long-term to renewable sources that
cannot be used directly. Persons who wish to store water
through the recharge program must apply to
ADWR
for the appropriate
permits.
All permit holders are required to file annual reports with
the Department regarding the volume of water they stored
and/or recovered pursuant to their permits.
Recharge in Arizona
In 1986 the Arizona Legislature established
the Underground Water Storage and Recovery program to allow
persons with surplus supplies of water to store that water
underground and recover it at a later time for the storer’s
use. In 1994, the Legislature enacted the Underground Water
Storage, Savings, and Replenishment Act (UWS), which further
defined the recharge program. The recharge program is
administered by ADWR.
Information on individual recharge projects
in Arizona, including permitted storage volume and type of
water stored, is available in the
Semi- Annual Status Report
 .
Water being stored includes
CAP,
effluent, and Salt/Verde River water.
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Florence Recharge
Project |
As of 2004, the
Phoenix AMA has 39 USF projects permitted for up to a
total of 480,000 AFA and 11 GSF projects permitted for up to a
total of 720,000 AFA.
As of 2004, the
Tucson AMA has 9 USF projects permitted for up to a total
of 212,000 AFA and 6 GSF projects permitted for up to a total
of 83,000 AFA.
As of 2004, the
Pinal AMA has 4 USF projects permitted for up to a total
of 3,600 AFA and 4 GSF projects permitted for up to a total of
286,000 AFA.
As of 2004, the
Prescott AMA has 3 USF projects permitted for up to a
total of 8,900 AFA and no GSF projects permitted.
To date, the volume of
CAP,
effluent and surface water stored in Arizona is in excess of 4
million acre-feet. |
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