Ariz. Admin. Code § 12-15-726

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Section R12-15-726 - Prescott AMA Calculation of Groundwater Allowance and Extinguishment Credits

A. The Director shall calculate the groundwater allowance for a certificate or designation in the Prescott AMA as follows:

1. If the application is for a certificate of assured water supply, the Director shall:

a. Subtract the year of application from 2025,

b. Multiply the number determined in subsection (A)(1)(a) by the applicant's annual estimated water demand, and

c. Divide that product by two. The minimum volume that may be calculated in this subsection is zero acre-feet.

2. If the application is for a designation of assured water supply:

a. Except as provided in subsections (A)(3) and (A)(5), if the applicant was in existence as of January 12, 1999, and the application is filed before calendar year 2026, the Director shall:

i. Multiply by 100 the largest volume of groundwater determined by the Director to have been withdrawn by the applicant from within the Prescott AMA for use within the applicant's service area in any calendar year from 1995 through 1998, consistent with the municipal conservation requirements applicable under the second management plan for the Prescott active management area;

ii. Determine the volume of the applicant's total water demand, from any source, for 1999, consistent with the municipal conservation requirements established for the applicant in the management plan in effect on the date of application;

iii. Determine the volume of the applicant's total water demand, from any source, for 2014, consistent with the municipal conservation requirements established for the applicant in the management plan in effect on the date of application;

iv. Subtract the volume calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(ii) from the volume calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(iii) and then multiply the difference by 26;

v. Divide the product obtained in subsection (A)(2)(a)(iv) by two;

vi. If any residential groundwater uses, including residential groundwater uses served by an exempt well, in existence on August 21, 1998, have been replaced by permanent water service from the applicant after August 21, 1998, multiply one-half acre-foot of groundwater by the number of housing units receiving the service and then multiply that product by 100;

vii. Determine the volume of groundwater withdrawn by the applicant from within the Prescott active management area during the period beginning January 1, 1999, and ending December 31 of the calendar year before the date of the application;

viii. Multiply the volume of groundwater withdrawn by the applicant from within the Prescott active management area in 1999 by the number of calendar years in the period beginning with 1999 and ending with the calendar year before the date of application;

ix. Subtract from the volume calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(vii) the volume calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(viii). The volume calculated in this subsection shall not be less than zero; and

x. Add the volumes calculated in subsections (A)(2)(a)(i), (A)(2)(a)(v), and (A)(2)(a)(vi), and then subtract from the sum the volume calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(ix).

b. If the applicant did not exist as of January 12, 1999, or the date of application occurs after calendar year 2025, the groundwater allowance is zero acre-feet, except that if any residential groundwater uses, including residential groundwater uses served by an exempt well, in existence on August 21, 1998, have been replaced by permanent water service from the applicant after August 21, 1998, the groundwater allowance is a volume of groundwater computed by multiplying one-half acre-foot of groundwater by the number of housing units receiving the service and multiplying that product by 100.

3. For the purpose of determining the groundwater allowance under subsection (A)(2)(a), at the request of the applicant, the Director shall replace the volume of groundwater calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(ii) through (v) with the amount of groundwater necessary for the applicant to serve the residential lots described in subsection (A)(4):

a. To compute this amount of groundwater, the Director shall:

i. Determine the average dwelling occupancy within the applicant's service area and multiply that average occupancy by an amount of groundwater, calculated by multiplying 150 gallons per capita per day by 365 days; and

ii. Multiply the product in subsection (A)(3)(a)(i) by the number of residential lots described in subsection (A)(4), and then multiply that product by 100.

b. The Director shall not include the amount computed in subsection (A)(3)(a) within the amount of groundwater that the applicant may use under subsection (A)(2)(a) until a final plat for the lots has been recorded.

4. The Director shall include residential lots that will be served by the applicant in the calculation made under subsection (A)(3) if the lots meet all of the following criteria:

a. A preliminary plat for the lots was submitted to the city, town, or county on or before August 21, 1998, and the final plat is subsequently recorded;

b. The lots were not being served water on or before August 21, 1998; and

c. Any one of the following applies:

i. The lots were included within an application for certificate of assured water supply that was filed before August 21, 1998, the Director determined that the application was complete and correct as of August 21, 1998, and the Director subsequently issued a certificate of assured water supply for the lots.

ii. A preliminary plat for the lots was approved by a city, town, or county on or before August 21, 1998. At the time the preliminary plat was approved, the subdivider of the lots obtained a written commitment of water service from a municipal provider that was designated as having an assured water supply and the provider demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director that sufficient water is physically available to serve the lots under the criteria in R12-15-716.

5. For the purpose of determining the groundwater allowance under subsection (A)(2)(a), if the applicant makes the request described in subsection (A)(3), the Director shall replace the volume of groundwater calculated in subsection (A)(2)(a)(viii) with an amount of groundwater calculated as follows. The Director shall:

a. Determine the number of calendar years in the period beginning with 1999 and ending with the calendar year before the date of application and multiply that number of years by the largest volume of groundwater determined by the Director to have been withdrawn by the applicant from within the Prescott active management area for use within the applicant's service area in any calendar year from 1995 through 1998, consistent with the municipal conservation requirements applicable under the second management plan for the Prescott active management area;

b. Determine the average dwelling occupancy within the applicant's service area and multiply that average dwelling occupancy by an amount of groundwater calculated by multiplying 150 gallons per capita per day by 365 days;

c. For each year in the period beginning with 1999 and ending with the calendar year before the date of application, determine the number of the residential lots that meet the criteria in subsection (A)(4) and were served water by the applicant as of July 1 of the relevant year and add the number of these residential lots determined for each year;

d. Multiply the volume of groundwater calculated in subsection (A)(5)(b) by the number of residential lots in subsection (A)(5)(c); and

e. Add the volumes of groundwater from subsections (A)(5)(a) and (A)(5)(d).

B. The Director shall calculate the extinguishment credits for extinguishing a grandfathered right in the Prescott AMA as follows:

1. For the extinguishment of a type 2 non-irrigation grandfathered right, multiply the number of acre-feet indicated on the certificate by the difference between 2025 and the calendar year of extinguishment.

2. For the extinguishment of an irrigation grandfathered right or a type 1 non-irrigation grandfathered right:

a. Through December 31, 2010:

i. If the irrigation acres associated with the extinguished right were irrigated for at least four of the six calendar years preceding January 1, 2000, multiply 1.5 acre-feet per acre by the number of irrigation acres associated with the extinguished right or the number of acres to which the extinguished right is appurtenant and multiply that product by 25.

ii. If the irrigation acres associated with the extinguished right were not irrigated for at least four of the six calendar years preceding January 1, 2000, multiply 1.5 acre-feet per acre by the number of irrigation acres associated with the extinguished right or the number of acres to which the extinguished right is appurtenant and multiply the product by the difference between 2025 and the year in which the statement of intent to extinguish is filed.

b. After December 31, 2010, multiply 1.5 acre-feet per acre by the number of irrigation acres associated with the extinguished right or the number of acres to which the extinguished right is appurtenant and multiply the product by the difference between 2025 and the year in which the statement of intent to extinguish is filed.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-15-726

New Section made by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 3475, effective September 12, 2006 (Supp. 06-3).