Officials celebrate first 100-year Assured Water Supply designation in Pinal AMA in over two decades

In a celebration at the Casa Grande City Hall in Pinal County on Wednesday, the Arizona Water Company was named the first water provider to receive a 100-year designation in the Pinal Active Management Area in more than 20 years and the second utility to use the new Alternative Pathway to Designation of Assured Water Supply, or ADAWS, rules, to achieve a designation. 

The new designation demonstrates Arizona Water Company has sufficient water supplies to meet all the water demands within its service area for a period of 100 years, including more than 80,000 new homes. 

This ADAWS Designation is a critical step to building homes, growing our economy, and protecting our water for generations, said Governor Katie Hobbs. 

“Pinal County has waited a decade for water solutions like this one, and today we are proving that Arizona has what it takes to conquer our water challenges and deliver real results for our communities.”

The ADAWS program allows designations to include groundwater that is grandfathered in and could not otherwise be included in an assured water supply determination. The plan incorporates alternative supplies for both new growth and existing uses so that providers can firm up the groundwater supplies for existing users while allowing new growth.

The program reflects collaboration across governmental and private sector leadership, thoughtful policy and a dedication to building a strong and stable future for Arizona, commented Larry Rains, City Manager of Casa Grande.

A key leader in the decade-long effort to find sustainable water-supply options for the Pinal Active Management, Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller, said the ADAWS program is the result of numerous stakeholder meetings, give and take discussions, and a recognition that challenging problems require creative solutions.

Added Miller: The 100-year Designation being celebrated today will allow Pinal County to continue moving forward as we build more houses, support more businesses, and make the American dream more affordable for all Americans.

In an interview following the formal event, ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke told reporters that the ADAWS program is a good example of the strong effort Arizona leaders are putting into maintaining a sense of certainty for the state’s water users.

I believe that all the things we have done – the ADAWS program is a good example - all the things we have done (conserving water) on the Colorado River, advocating our case to the Federal government, and more is going to end up maintaining the certainty that we’ve worked to create.

We have lots of options in terms of what might happen if cuts to the Colorado River supply occur.