Abbreviation for Arizona Administrative Code.

Abbreviation for Arizona Revised Statutes.

Abandoned tailings impoundment means a tailings impoundment that the owner/operator of a metal mining facility does not plan to use for additional disposal of tailings.

Well abandonment is accomplished “through filling or sealing the well so as to prevent the well, including the annular space outside the casing, from being a channel allowing the vertical movement of water.” A.A.C. R12-15-816(G). Wells that are capped and not in use are not considered abandoned.

The volume of water required to cover 1 acre to a depth of 1 foot and is equal to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons. In Arizona, 1 acre-foot is typically enough water to serve 3 single-family homes for a year.

This is a geographical area which has been designated pursuant to [A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 2] as requiring active management of groundwater or, in the case of the Santa Cruz Active Management Area, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well. A.R.S. § 45- 402(2). Established Active Management Areas (AMAs) include: The Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson, and Santa Cruz AMAs. A map of the AMAs and their boundaries can be viewed here. Wells drilled in AMAs are subject to stricter regulations.

This is a geographical area which has been designated pursuant to [A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 2] as requiring active management of groundwater or, in the case of the Santa Cruz Active Management Area, active management of any water, other than stored water, withdrawn from a well. A.R.S. § 45-402(2). Established Active Management Areas (AMAs) include: The Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, Tucson, and Santa Cruz AMAs. A map of the AMAs and their boundaries can be viewed here. Wells drilled in AMAs are subject to stricter regulations. 

The space between the outer well casing and the borehole wall. Also means the space between the inner
and outer well casing. A.A.C. R12-15-801(1).

(1) Permitting and Wells - An underground formation capable of yielding or transmitting usable quantities of water. A.A.C. R12-15-
801(2).

(2) Recharge - "Aquifer" means a geologic formation that contains sufficient saturated material to be capable of storing water and transmitting water in usable quantities to a well.

"Area of impact" means, as projected on the land surface, the area where the stored water has migrated or is located.

An aquifer which is overlain by a confining formation and which contains groundwater under sufficient
pressure for the water to rise above the top of the aquifer. A.A.C. R12-15-801(3).

The irrigation efficiency used to compute an irrigation water duty for the fourth management period pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 45-567 and 45-567.02. 

Augmentation means supplementing the water supply of an active management area and may include the importation of water into the active management area or storage of water pursuant to laws relating to underground water storage set forth at A.R.S. § 45-801.01 et seq. 

A colloidal clay composed mainly of sodium montmorillonite, a hydrated aluminum silicate. A.A.C. R12-
15-801(5).

Water discharged from a cooling tower recirculating water stream to control the buildup of minerals or other impurities in the recirculating water. 

A constructed body of water or interconnected bodies of water, including a lake, pond, lagoon, or swimming pool, that has a surface area greater than 12,320 square feet when full and that is filled or refilled primarily for landscape, scenic, recreational purposes, or regulatory storage.

(Pronounced “Ka-Dah-Strel”). This refers to a rectangular coordinate system that is used to map much of Arizona. Arizona is divided into four unequal quadrants (A, B, C, D), with a north-south line called meridian and an east-west line called baseline. The northeast quadrant is “A”, the northwest “B”, the southwest “C”, and the southeast “D”.

From here, each quadrant is subdivided into Townships (capital “T”). Each Township is defined by a township (lowercase “T”) north or south of baseline and a range east or west of meridian.

Regularly sized Townships consist of 36 sections. Each section in a regularly sized Township is 1 square mile, or 640 acres in size. Each 640-acre section is then divided into four 160-acre quarters. Each 160-acre quarter is then subdivided into four 40-acre quarters, and each 40-acre quarter is subdivided into four 10-acre quarters.

On our wells 55 map, wells are plotted to the nearest 10-acre quarter or section, rather than the exact, physical location. For more information regarding the cadastral system, please view this pamphlet.

A waterway constructed for the purpose of transporting water to a point of delivery, including main canals and lateral canals.

A tamper-resistant, watertight steel plate of at least one-quarter inch thickness on the top of all inside and outside casings of a well. A.A.C. R12-15-801(6).

The tubing or pipe installed in the borehole during or after drilling to support the sides of the well and

prevent caving. A.A.C. R12-15-801(7).

Conservation Efforts Report required to be filed by a large municipal provider regulated under the Non-Per Capita Conservation Program as provided in Section 5-705(E).

"CERCLA" means the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended (P.L. 96-510; 94 Stat. 2767; 42 United States Code sections 9601 through 9657), commonly known as "superfund".

An industrial facility that produces or is designed to produce more than 25 megawatts of electricity by utilizing an internal combustion engine in which the expanding gases from the combustion chamber drive the blades of a turbine which turns a generator to produce electricity.

An area or areas owned and operated as a single integrated facility and used for recreational or open space purposes. A common area is maintained for the benefit of the residents of a housing development.

Community water systems are any system that serves 15 or more service connections, or which serves 25 or more residents, on a year-round basis. They are subject to water quality standards and more stringent reporting requirements A.R.S. §§ 45 341 to 343. Community water systems are also regulated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

This is a location included in the federal government’s "Superfund" program, which investigates sites that are contaminated with hazardous substances. The Superfund program develops remedial actions that assure the protection of public health and welfare and the environment. The CERCLA program is administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The CERCLA Act of 1980 is authorized by P.L. 96-510; 94 Stat. 2767; 42 United States Code §§ 9601 through 9657. A.R.S. § 49-201(4).

The relatively impermeable geologic unity immediately overlying an artesian aquifer. A.A.C. R12-15-801(8).

A component of recirculating water in a cooling tower, the concentration of which is not significantly modified by precipitation, loss to the atmosphere, or the addition of treatment chemicals. 

A naturally occurring geologic unit through or into which a well is drilled, having a composition, density, and thickness which will provide a natural hydrologic barrier. A.A.C. R12-15-801(8).

"Constructed underground storage facility" means a facility that meets the requirements of section 45-811.01 and that is designed and constructed to store water underground pursuant to permits issued under this chapter.

Use of water for construction purposes, including the use of water for dust control, compaction and preparation of building materials on construction sites.

Groundwater that has been contaminated by a release of a hazardous substance, as defined in section 49-201, or a pollutant, as defined in section 49-201. A.R.S. § 45-596(H1).

In contact at any point along a boundary, or part of the same master planned community. Two parcels of land are contiguous if they are separated only by one or more of the following: a road, easement, or right-of-way.

Patterns in cooling tower operation that include continuous blowdown and make-up or frequent periodic blowdown and make-up of recirculating water. 

If water from the proposed well, or existing well being modified or deepened, will be used for domestic purposes on a parcel of land of 5 or fewer acres, the applicable county or local health authority must endorse all items in Section 1 on the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Drill within one year before submission to the Department of Water Resources. A site plan must also be attached.

The ratio of the concentration of total dissolved solids, other conservative mineral constituent, or electrical conductivity in the blowdown water to the concentration of this same constituent or electrical conductivity in the make-up water. This can be calculated by dividing the total make-up water by the total blowdown water.

A lactating cow or a non-lactating animal present at a dairy operation.

A facility that houses an average of 100 or more lactating cows per day during a calendar year as calculated in section 6-2102.

Any water that has been put to a beneficial use at the dairy operation, including water containing dairy animal wastes.

Water removed from the stilling basin of a tailings impoundment either by gravity flow into a decant tower or by pumping. 

This is a location that is contaminated with hazardous substances. These locations typically are either active duty military bases or bases being closed under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) regulations, as well as formerly used defense sites that are eligible for funding under the Installation Restoration Program as overseen by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). DOD sites are administered by the US military and are authorized by the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, U.S.C. § 2701, et seq.

Reclaimed water transported directly from a facility regulated pursuant to Title 49, Chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, to an end user. Direct use reclaimed water does not include reclaimed water that has been stored pursuant to Title 45, Chapter 3.1, Arizona Revised Statutes.

"District" means a groundwater replenishment district established under title 48, chapter 27.

"District member" means a member of the groundwater replenishment district as provided by title 48, chapter 27.

Uses related to the supply, service and activities of households and private residences and includes the application of water to less than two acres of land to produce plants for sale or human consumption, or for use as feed for livestock, range livestock or poultry, as such terms are defined in section 3-1201. (R12-15-801)

This is a small capacity water-production well that is typically used to provide water for domestic purposes. Domestic purposes are defined as uses related to the supply, service and activities of households and private residences. This includes the application of water to less than two acres of land to produce plants or parts of plants for sale or human consumption, or for use as feed for livestock, range livestock or poultry as such terms are defined in § 3-1201  A.R.S. § 45-454(M1).

A card which is used by the Director to the well drilling contractor or single well licensee designated in the notice of intent or permit, authorizing the well drilling contractor or licensee to drill the specific well or wells in the specific location as noticed or permitted. A.A.C. R12-15-801(12).

"Electrical district" means a corporate body established pursuant to title 48, chapter 12.

This is a type of well normally associated with a site investigation or remedial action. Environmental wells include air-sparging wells, biosparging wells, vapor extraction wells, free product recovery wells, vadose zone wells and wells involving other types of remediation. Environmental wells are permanent installations, as opposed to geotechnical or exploration boreholes that are drilled to obtain samples or information, and then are immediately abandoned.

This is a well having a pump with a maximum capacity of not more than thirty-five gallons per minute which is used to withdraw groundwater pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-454. A.R.S. § 45-402(8).

Exempt wells are small non-irrigation wells, typically used to provide water for domestic purposes. In AMAs, withdrawals of groundwater from exempt wells for non-irrigation uses other than domestic purposes and stock watering shall not exceed 10 acre-feet per year. A.R.S. § 45-454(B2).

Individual user that was receiving water from a municipal provider as of the date the 4MP was adopted.

Large municipal provider that was in operation and was serving water on or before the date of adoption of the 4MP. 

A well which was drilled before June 12, 1980 and which is not abandoned or sealed or a well which was not completed on June 12, 1980 but for which a Notice of Intent to Drill was on file with the Arizona Water Commission on such date. A.R.S. § 45-591(1).

This is a well drilled in search of geophysical, mineralogical or geotechnical data. A.A.C. R12-15-801(13).

Non-residential or residential uses of water for landscaping, pools, evaporative cooling systems, decorative fountains and other outdoor uses of water.

A water-intensive landscaped area or a low water use landscaped area that came into existence or was substantially commenced after December 31, 1984 and before January 1, 1992, but that was not substantially commenced prior to January 1, 1985.

Turf acres that came into existence or were substantially commenced after December 31, 1984 and before January 1, 1992, but that was not substantially commenced prior to January 1, 1985.

An artesian well in which the pressure is sufficient to cause the water to rise above the land surface. A.A.C. R12-15-801(14).

A cooling tower that is functioning to dissipate heat from a large-scale power plant that is generating electricity.

General industrial use permits are permits issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-515 for the withdrawal of groundwater from a point outside of the exterior boundaries of the service area of a city, town or private water company for a general industrial use located outside of the exterior boundaries of such service area.  A “general industrial use” means a non-irrigation use of groundwater except uses subject to dewatering permits and mineral extraction and metallurgical processing permits, as well as uses for which a certificate of assured water supply is required.  General industrial use includes animal industry use.  See A.R.S. § 45-515 for other requirements and restrictions on general industrial use permits.

An area which, as nearly as known facts permit as determined by the director pursuant to this chapter, may be designated so as to enclose a relatively hydrologically distinct body or related bodies of groundwater, which shall be described horizontally by surface description. A.R.S. § 45-402(13).

A system of pipes, canals or other works within a municipal provider’s service area which are owned and operated by the provider to collect, store, treat or deliver groundwater for non-irrigation use, regardless of whether other types of water are also present in the system.

Groundwater withdrawn from outside AMA and INA boundaries can be restricted in terms of its transportation between groundwater basins but is generally subject only to the requirement “for reasonable and beneficial use.” A.R.S. § 45-453. Community water systems outside of AMAs and INAs have the additional requirement to submit annual water use reports to ADWR.

The Arizona State Supreme Court has ruled that landowners do not own the groundwater beneath their property, but rather have the right to withdraw those waters. The Court stated in Town of Chino Valley vs City of Prescott, “In the absolute sense, there can be no ownership in seeping and percolating waters until they are reduced to actual possession and control by the person claiming them because of their migratory character. Like wild animals free to roam as they please, they are the property of no one.”

Outside of the AMAs and INAs, ADWR has no statutory authority to regulate the impact of one landowner’s pumping on their neighbor’s unless groundwater is being transferred between basins or sub- basins. ADWR can investigate and inspect wells to ensure that they are properly constructed and that the associated well records are accurate A.R.S. § 45-633(A).

"Groundwater savings facility" means a facility that meets the requirements of section 45-812.01 in an active management area or an irrigation non-expansion area at which groundwater withdrawals are eliminated or reduced by recipients who use in lieu water on a gallon-for-gallon substitute basis for groundwater that otherwise would have been pumped from within that active management area or irrigation non-expansion area.

Non-exempt wells drilled within any of the five AMAs require a groundwater withdrawal authority to be issued a drill card. Some examples of a groundwater withdrawal authority include:

Service Area Right

• Ex: City of Phoenix, City of Tucson, City of Prescott

Irrigation Grandfathered Right

• Used for irrigation. The right to be irrigated stays with the land, rather than with the owner.

Non-Irrigation Grandfathered Right

• Type 1: Used for non-irrigation. Examples include dairy farms and golf courses. This right stays with the land.
• Type 2: This right is the same as a Type 1, but it stays with the owner. It can be used anywhere in the AMA it was issued and can also be bought and sold. There are a limited number of Type 2 Rights.

General Industrial Use Permit

Groundwater rights can be viewed using this map. For more information about Groundwater Withdrawal Authorities please contact the AMA section at 602-771-8585.

This is a permit issued to withdraw groundwater in an AMA for a specific use that is authorized under A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 7. Authorized groundwater uses that require groundwater withdrawal permits include dewatering, temporary dewatering, emergency temporary dewatering, mineral extraction and metallurgical processing, general industrial use, poor quality groundwater, drainage water withdrawal, temporary electrical generation and hydrologic testing.

Upon receipt of an application to drill a new non-exempt well within an AMA, a hydrologic study (impact analysis) will be conducted by hydrology staff to confirm it meets well spacing and well impact rules pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-598(A).

Cement mixed with no more than 50% sand by volume and containing no more than six gallons of water per 94 lb. sack of cement. A.A.C. R12-15-801(15).

The extraction of minerals using acid solutions applied to metallic ores that have been removed from their original location and heaped or dumped in a new location.

A group of rooms or a single room occupied as separate living quarters. Housing unit includes a single family home, a patio home, a townhouse, a condominium, an apartment, a permanently set-up mobile home or a unit in a multifamily complex. Housing unit does not include a mobile home in an overnight or limited-stay mobile home park or a unit in a campground, motel, hotel or other temporary lodging facility. A housing unit may be occupied by a family, a family and unrelated persons living together, two or more unrelated persons living together, or by one person.

"In lieu water" means water that is delivered by a storer to a groundwater savings facility pursuant to permits issued under this chapter and that is used in an active management area or an irrigation non-expansion area by the recipient on a gallon-for-gallon substitute basis for groundwater that otherwise would have been pumped from within that active management area or irrigation non-expansion area.

The extraction of metallic ores using acid leaching of ores that are not moved from their original natural location. 

Those portions of metal mining facilities at which in situ leaching and associated copper recovery operations occur, including surface applications of acid leaching solutions and deep well injection of acid leaching solutions.

A person receiving groundwater from a municipal provider for non-irrigation uses to which specific conservation requirements apply, including turf-related facilities, large-scale cooling facilities, and publicly-owned rights-of-way.

Water that is used by an industrial user directly in the creation or manufacture of a product.

An industrial use is a non-irrigation use of water not supplied by a city, town or private water company, including animal industry use and expanded animal industry use (A.R.S. § 45-561(5)). 

A person who uses water for industrial uses.

Non-residential or residential indoor uses of water, including toilet flushing, bathing, drinking, and washing.

To apply water to two or more acres of land to produce plants or parts of plants for sale or human consumption, or as feed for livestock, range livestock, or poultry. A.R.S. § 45-402(23).

A system of canals, flumes, pipes, or other works that are owned or operated by an irrigation district or private water company and used to deliver water for irrigation use.

This is a geographical area which has been designated pursuant to [A.R.S. Title 45, Chapter 2, Article 3] as having insufficient groundwater to provide a reasonable safe supply for the irrigation of the cultivated lands at the current rate of withdrawal.

Established INAs include: The Joseph City, Harquahala, and Douglas INAs. A map of the INAs and their boundaries can be viewed here.

In an INA, only land that has an irrigation authority can be irrigated. Irrigation authorities can be viewed using this map.

Definition as prescribed in A.R.S. § 45-567 which, for the 4MP, is the total irrigation requirement to produce the crops historically grown divided by the assigned irrigation efficiency.

Any cow that is producing milk that is present on-site at a dairy operation and receives water through the dairy operation’s watering system.

The entire area of a lot less any areas covered by structures, parking lots, roads and any other area not physically capable of being landscaped.

The application of water from any source, including reclaimed water, to a water-intensive landscaped area, a low water use landscaped area or revegetation acres within a turf-related facility.

A municipal provider serving more than 250 ac-ft of water for non-irrigation use during a calendar year. 

A facility which has control over cooling operations with a total combined cooling capacity greater than or equal to 1,000 tons. For the purposes of this definition, the minimum cooling tower size which shall be used to determine total facility cooling capacity is 250 tons. A large-scale cooling facility does not include a large-scale power plant that utilizes cooling towers to dissipate heat.

An industrial facility at which mining and processing of metallic ores is conducted and that uses or has the potential to use more than 500 ac-ft of water per reporting year. For the purposes of this definition, the annual water use or potential annual water use includes all water from any source, including reclaimed water, used or projected to be used within or by the facility, regardless of the nature of the use.

An industrial facility that produces or is designed to produce more than 25 megawatts of electricity including steam electric power plants and combustion turbine plants.

A chemical, physical, or biological constituent present in recirculating cooling tower water that, due to potential physical or biological factors or due to potential exceedance of any federal, state, or local environmental standards upon discharge as blowdown, should not be allowed to accumulate in recirculating cooling tower water above a certain concentration. 

"Long-term storage account" means an account established pursuant to section 45-852.01.

"Long-term storage credit" means stored water that meets the requirements of section 45-852.01 and that has been credited to a long-term storage account.

The total quantity of water from any source that enters a municipal provider’s groundwater distribution system during a calendar year less the total quantity of authorized deliveries of water from the groundwater distribution system during the calendar year that are metered deliveries or deliveries that the municipal provider accounts for by a method of estimating water use approved by the Director. 

An area of land of at least one acre in aggregate, which is an integral part of a turf-related facility, watered by a permanent water application system and planted primarily with plants listed in ADWR’s Low Water Use/Drought Tolerant Plant List for the TAMA. Mature vegetation planted in a low water use landscaped area must cover at least 50 percent of the area.

The water added back into the cooling tower recirculating water stream to replace water lost to evaporation, blowdown, or other mechanisms of water loss. 

"Managed underground storage facility" means a facility that meets the requirements of section 45-811.01 and that is designed and managed to utilize the natural channel of a stream to store water underground pursuant to permits issued under this chapter through artificial and controlled releases of water other than surface water naturally present in the stream. Surface water flowing in its natural channel is not a managed underground storage facility.

"Master replenishment account" means an account established pursuant to section 45-858.01 for a groundwater replenishment district.

Maximum amount of groundwater that may be used per year for the irrigation of each irrigation acre in the farm that is calculated pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-465.

The flow of water used in the process of crushing ore, recovering copper at the mill concentrator, and transporting and disposing of tailings, and includes recovery of water at the tailings impoundments for reuse in the mill concentrator. 

The structure at open-pit metal mines within which metallic ore is crushed and the flotation process is used to remove minerals.

This is a well that is designed and drilled for the purpose of monitoring water quality within a specific depth interval. A.A.C. R12-15-801(17).

A mobile home in a mobile home park and any permanent housing unit having one or more common walls with another housing unit located in a multifamily residential structure, and includes a unit in a duplex, triplex, fourplex, condominium development, town home development, or apartment complex.

A system of pipes, canals or other works within a municipal provider’s service area which are owned and operated by the provider to collect, store, treat or deliver water for non-irrigation use.

This means a city, town, private water company or irrigation district that supplies water for non-irrigation use A.R.S. §45-454(M3).

A non-residential facility that has a water-intensive landscaped area in excess of 10,000 square feet and that has landscaping planted and maintained after January 1, 1990 or bodies of water, other than bodies of water used primarily for swimming purposes, filled and maintained after January 1, 1990, or both. The following facilities are excluded from this definition: schools, parks, cemeteries, golf courses, common areas of housing developments and public recreational facilities. 

A municipal provider that begins serving more than 250 ac-ft of water for non-irrigation use during a calendar year after the date of adoption of the 4MP. 

A well for which a Notice of Intent to Drill or a permit is required pursuant to this article or which is drilled pursuant to a permit issued under section 45-834.01. A.R.S. § 45-591(2).

For a calendar year, an area of land planted with a warm-season grass species that was not planted with any warm-season grass species during the preceding calendar year.

This is any well, including a recovery well, that does not qualify as an exempt well or a replacement well. A.R.S. § 45-2701(3). A non-exempt well is a well having a pump with a maximum capacity of more than thirty-five gallons per minute which is used to withdraw groundwater.

A calf, heifer, mature dry cow, bull, or steer that is present on-site at a dairy operation and receives water through the dairy operation's watering system. 

A person who is supplied water by a municipal provider for a non-irrigation use other than a residential use.

Total water requirements to produce a crop divided by the total quantity of water actually applied to that crop during one growing season.

A well which is not equipped with either a cap or a pump. A.A.C. R12-15-801(18).

For a calendar year, an area of land planted with any cool-season grass species that grows over a dormant warm-season grass species during the fall-winter period.

ADWR maintains a registry, it does not certify legal well ownership. Wells are usually in the name of the landowner where a well resides. When the landowner or well owner changes a 55-71A Request to Change Well Information form must be filed so that the well record remains current and accurate. A.R.S. § 45-593(C).

A series of openings in a casing, made either before or after installation of the casing, to permit the entrance of water into the well. A.A.C. R12-15-801(19).

This is a well that is designed and drilled for the purpose of monitoring water levels within a specific depth interval. A.A.C. R12-15-801(20).

A commercially manufactured watertight unit or device designed for attachment to a steel well casing which permits discharge from the well below the land surface and allows access into the well casing while preventing contaminants from entering the well. A.A.C. R12-15-801(21). For more information, please view this diagram of a pitless adaptor.

Water whose chemical, physical, biological, or radiological integrity has been degraded through the artificial or natural infusion of chemicals, radionuclides, heat, biological organisms, or mineralogical or other extraneous matter. A.A.C. R12-15-801(22).

Poor quality groundwater withdrawal permits are permits issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-516 to non-irrigation users to withdraw poor quality groundwater if the director determines that the groundwater to be withdrawn because of its quality has no other beneficial use at the present time and that the withdrawal of such groundwater is consistent with the management plan.  A.R.S. § 45-516. 

Either: a) A large-scale metal mining and processing facility that does not qualify as a pre-1985 metal mining facility, including any expanded or modified portion of the facility, or b) Any expanded or modified portion of a pre-1985 metal mining facility if the expansion or modification includes one or more new tailings impoundments, new mill circuits, or new leaching facilities, and was not substantially commenced as of December 31, 1984.

A water-intensive landscaped area or a low water use landscaped area that was neither in existence nor was substantially commenced as of December 31, 1991.

A water-intensive landscaped area or a low water use landscaped area that was either in existence or was substantially commenced as of December 31, 1984.

A process by which a grout is confined within the borehole or casing of a well by the use of retaining plugs, packers, or a displacing fluid by which sufficient pressure is applied to drive the grout into and within the annular space or interval to be grouted. A.A.C. R12-15-801(23).

"Beneficial uses" includes irrigation, stock watering, industrial, mining, domestic, and many other uses. The use of groundwater must be "reasonable" and A.R.S. 45-602 states that "Groundwater which has been withdrawn shall not be allowed to waste." Flowing wells must be capped if the groundwater is not being put to use, and wells, pumps, and piping must be "constructed and maintained so as to prevent the waste of groundwater."

"Recipient" means a person who receives in lieu water for use at a groundwater savings facility.

Definition as effluent in A.R.S. § 45-101.

Reclaimed water that has been stored pursuant to Title 45, Chapter 3.1, Arizona Revised Statutes, and recovered outside the area of impact of storage. For purposes of this definition, “area of impact” has the same meaning as prescribed by A.R.S. § 45-802.01.

A cooling tower served by a make-up water supply that on an annual average basis consists of 50 percent or more reclaimed water. 

"Recoverable amount" means the amount of water, as determined by the director, that will reach the aquifer through water storage.

All wells in the state, new and existing, should have a registration number beginning with “55-” followed by six digits. A.R.S. § 45-593(B). For a new well, the registration number is assigned when the Notice of Intent to Drill or Application for a Permit to Drill is received by the Department. For existing wells, the registration is assigned when the Late Registration form is received. To understand how well registration numbers are assigned, read about the Wells 55 Index Numbering System.

a) The site of a remedial action undertaken pursuant to the compreensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act of 1980, as amended (P.L. 96-510; 94 stat. 2767; 42 US Code section 9601 through 9657), commonly known as "superfund". b)The site of a corrective action undertaken to title 49, chapter 6. c)The site of a voluntary remediation action undertaken pursuant to title49, chapter1,article 5. d)The site of a remedial action undertaken pursuant to title 49, chapter 2, article 5. e)The site of a remedial action undertaken pursuant to the resource conservation & recovery act of 1976 (P.L. 94-580; 90 Stat. 2795; 42 US Code sections 6901 through 6992). f)The site of remedial action undertaken pursuant to the dept. of defense environmental restoration program (P.L. 99-499; 100 Stat. 1719; 10 US Code section 2701). (R12-15-801)

Groundwater withdrawn pursuant to an approved remedial action project, but does not include groundwater withdrawn to provide an alternative water supply pursuant to A.R.S. § 49-282.03.

"Replenishment" means the storage of water or use of long-term storage credits by a groundwater replenishment district to fulfill its duties under title 48, chapter 27, article 3, by a multi-county water conservation district to fulfill its duties under title 48, chapter 22, article 4 or by an active management area water district to fulfill its duties under title 48, chapter 28, article 7.

"Reserve target" has the same meaning prescribed in section 48-3701.

A person who is supplied water by a municipal provider for a residential use.

Revegetation acres means acreage within and/or contiguous to a turf-related facility that has been approved by the Director as qualifying for a revegetation allotment addition.

Agitating rock inside concrete truck mixer drums for the purpose of cleaning excess concrete from the drums.

A facility that produces sand and gravel and that uses more than 100 ac-ft of water from any source per calendar year. For purposes of this definition, the annual water use shall include all water used by the facility regardless of the nature of the use. 

Water that has infiltrated from tailings impoundments into the material underlying the tailings impoundments. 

A coupling of a municipal provider’s distribution system and its customer’s water system.

A shared well may serve up to 14 service connections, or up to 24 residents in an area. Wells that serve 15 or more service connections, or which serve 25 or more residents, on a year-round basis constitute a community water system.

Well sharing agreements are private contracts executed by private parties to govern the manner in which a well provides water to multiple properties. While Arizona water law governs how a well is to be drilled and located, it does not govern the operation or management of a well sharing agreement.

Disputes regarding the terms of, or compliance with, a well sharing agreement are a purely civil matter between the parties to the agreement. Neither ADWR, or any other state agency, has authority to enforce or regulate well sharing agreements, nor may any state agency adjudicate disputes over well sharing agreements or provide legal advice to any party to a well sharing agreement.

A license issued to a person which allows the drilling or modification of a single exempt well on land owned by that person.(R12-15-801)

These are well construction or well abandonment requirements or standards that exceed the minimum well construction requirements provided under A.A.C. R12-15-811 and A.A.C. R12-15-816. Special well construction or abandonment requirements are required: 1) where special aquifer conditions, such as those described in A.A.C. R12-15-812, exist; 2) when it is determined that the literal application of the minimum well construction standards would not adequately protect the aquifer or other water users (A.A.C. R12-15-821); and 3) in areas of known or anticipated groundwater contamination to prevent the risk of vertical cross-contamination. A.R.S. § 45-605(E) and A.A.C. R12-15-850.

A specialty well is usually designed and constructed for a specific purpose other than to withdraw water, or to provide samples or monitoring data. Examples of specialty wells include cathodic protection wells, grounding wells, heat pump wells, etc.

An industrial facility that produces or is designed to produce more than 25 megawatts of electricity by utilizing the Rankin Steam Cycle in which water is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam turbine which drives an electrical generator.

The watering of livestock, range livestock or poultry, as such terms are defined in section 3-1201.(R12-15-801)

A well used for stock watering purposes. “Stock watering” means the watering of livestock, range livestock, or poultry, as such terms are defined in section 3-1201. A.R.S. § 45-454(M3).

"Storage facility" means a groundwater savings facility or an underground storage facility.

"Stored water" means water that has been stored or saved underground pursuant to a storage permit issued under this chapter.

"Storer" means the holder of a water storage permit issued pursuant to section 45-831.01 or a person to whom a water storage permit has been conveyed pursuant to section 45-831.01, subsection F.

The settling or lowering of the surface of land which results from the withdrawal of groundwater. A.R.S. § 45-402(36). Read more about land subsidence here.

This is a written expression which informs the general public of an agency’s current approach to, or opinion of, the requirements of the federal or state constitution, federal or state statute, administrative rule or regulation, or final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, including, where appropriate, the agency’s current practice, procedure or method of action based on that approach or opinion. A substantive policy statement is advisory only. A substantive policy statement does not include internal procedural documents which only affect the internal procedures of the agency and does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties, confidential information or rules made in accordance with this chapter. A.R.S. § 41-1001(20).

ADWR well construction standards require a surface seal consisting of a minimum of 20 feet of steel casing with a 1-foot stickup. Cement grout must be used to fill the annular space between the surface casing and the borehole. There must be a minimum of 3-inch difference between the borehole diameter and the casing diameter. A.A.C. R12-15-811(B).

The slurry of water and fine-grained waste rock material remaining after minerals have been removed in the mill concentrator and excess water has been recovered and returned to the mill concentrator. 

The final disposal site for tailings generated in the milling circuit. 

Total quantity of water from any source, including reclaimed water, that enters an irrigation district’s or private water company’s irrigation distribution system during a calendar year less the total deliveries of water made by the irrigation district or private water company through its irrigation distribution system during the calendar year that are measured or estimated based on a generally accepted method of estimating water use.

An area of land that is watered with a permanent water application system and planted primarily with plants not listed in ADWR’s Low Water Use/Drought Tolerant Plant List for the TAMA.

"Underground storage facility" means a constructed underground storage facility or a managed underground storage facility.

A vadose zone well is constructed in the interval between the land surface and the top of the static water level. A.A.C. R12-15-801(26).

A variance is a request to construct or abandon a well in a manner that does not conform to one or more provisions of A.A.C. Title 12, Chapter 15, Article 8, (rules governing the well construction and the licensing of drillers) due to extraordinary or unusual conditions. Variances must be requested in writing, or by checking applicable responses on certain types of NOI forms.

A tamper-resistant watertight structure used to complete a well below the land surface.(R12-15-801)

The receipt or delivery of any type of water for direct use by customers, for use within a municipal water service area, or to or from another entity, including underground and groundwater savings facility storage and annual or long-term credit recovery. Water movements also include deliveries and receipts from other entities that are not required to file an annual water withdrawal and use report, such as the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, local or regional wastewater treatment plants owned by a county or other entity, and Indian reservations.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) monitors, reports, and protects Arizona’s groundwater quality. Water quality information can be obtained from ADEQ’s Water Quality Division Website. For information regarding testing the water quality of a private well, suggested testing schedules, and labs that test water quality, visit the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).

This is a location included in the State of Arizona’s "Superfund" program, which investigates sites that are contaminated with hazardous substances. The Superfund program develops remedial actions that assure the protection of public health and welfare and the environment. The WQARF program is administered by ADEQ. It is authorized by A.R.S. § 49-282.

"Water that cannot reasonably be used directly" means water that the storer cannot reasonably put to a direct use during the calendar year. See section 45-802.01(23) for more information.

For the calendar year in question, all of the following areas within a non-residential facility: a) Any area of land that is planted primarily with plants not listed in ADWR’s Low Water Use/Drought Tolerant Plant List for TAMA and watered with a permanent water application system, except any area of land that is watered exclusively with direct use reclaimed water or reclaimed water recovered within the area of impact; b) The total water surface area of all bodies of water within the facility, except bodies of water used primarily for swimming purposes, bodies of water filled and refilled exclusively with direct use reclaimed water or reclaimed water recovered within the area of impact, and bodies of water allowed under an interim water use permit pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-133 if the bodies of water will be filled and refilled exclusively with direct use reclaimed water or reclaimed water recovered within the area of impact after the permit expires.

A man-made opening in the earth through which water may be withdrawn or obtained from beneath the surface of the earth except as provided in section 45-591.01. A.R.S. § 45-402 (43).

Wells drilled for oil, gas or helium pursuant to the provisions of title 27 are not wells as defined by this chapter. A.R.S. § 45-591.01.

A well driller report must be filed by the well driller within 30 days of the completion of a well and must describe the "as built" well construction information and provide a well log of the well. The well driller report and well log are required by A.R.S. § 45-600.

The construction or repair of a well, or the modification, except for abandonment, of a well, regardless of whether compensation is involved, including any deepening or additional perforating, any addition of casing or change to existing casing construction, and any other change in well construction not normally associated with well maintenance, pump replacement, or pump repair. A.A.C. R12-15-801(29).

This is an individual, public or private corporation, partnership, firm, association, or any other public or private organization or enterprise that holds a well driller’s license pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-595(B). A.A.C. R12-15-801(30). A list of licensed well drillers can be found here.

Wells 55 has 23 primary water use types to describe the first water use listed for each well. To make analaysis and visualization of the over 218,000 wells easier, these primary water use types have been grouped as follows. 1. The Agriculture or Stock group consists of Irrigation and Stock primary water uses. 2. The Domestic group consists only of the the Domesitc water use type. 3. Dewatering, Drainage and Remediation make up the group of the same name. 4. Industrial consists of Industrial Commericial and Mining. 5. Monitoring and Test wells are in the group of the same name. 6. The Municipal Group consists of Municipal Uses, Subdivision, and Utilitly (Water Co). 7. The No Code group includes No Use Code on Noi, No Water Use, None listed and Unknown. Other-Mineral Explore, Other-Production, Recreation and Reserved compose the Other group, and 8. Recovery is the final group.

Wells 55 has 25 water use codes and accompanying descriptions. In order to make it possible to view water use by wells, these 25 codes have been grouped into nine groups as follows: 1) Agriculture or Stock Group: Irrigation and Stock. 2) Domestic Group: Domestic. 3) Drainage Dewatering Remediation Group: Drainage, Dewatering and Remediation. 4) Industrial Group: Commercial, Industrial and Mining. 5) Monitoring Test Group: Monitoring and Test. 6) Municipal Group: Municipal, Subdivision, and Utility (Water Co). 7. No Code Group: No Use Code on NOI, NO Water Use, None Listed and Unknown. 8. Other Group: Other - Mineral Explore, Other - Production, Recreation, and Reserved. 9. Recovery Group: Recovery.

These are rules that govern the location of new wells and replacement wells in new locations in Active Management Areas to prevent unreasonably increasing damage to surrounding land or other water users from the concentration of wells. Well spacing and well impact rules are authorized pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-598(A) and are set forth in A.A.C. R12-15 830.

The Wells 55 database code table for well types has 27 codes. In order to make some types of analysis and data visualizations easier, the concept of Well Type Groups was created. The groups consists of the following specific well types listed here: 1. Exempt: Exempt, Exempt - Domestic Stock, Exempt - Non-Domestic. 2. Non-exempt: Non-Exempt Replacemet Well in New Location, Non-Exempt Service, Non-Exempt Sump Pump, Trench or Sand Points, and Non-Exempt Withdrawal Permit. 3. Special: all well types starting with "Spcl" and including Cathodic Protection, Exploration, Geotechnical, Geothermal Heat Pump, Grounding, Mineral Exploration, Other, and Vadose Zone for Recharge. 4. Environemtal: all well types starting with "Env" and including Vadose Zone, Injection, Monitor, Monitor or Piezometer, Soil Vapor Extraction/Monitoring, and Sparging (Air, Ozone, As/Sve). 5. No Type Given: No Well Type.

An environmentally-friendly form of landscaping that uses a variety of indigenous and drought-tolerant plants, shrubs, and ground cover.

Prior to June 12th 1980 and incomplete or missing drill log report.