Arizona Laws 45-468. Accounting of water by persons delivering a combination of surface water and groundwater for irrigation uses
A. A person delivering a combination of surface water or effluent, or both, and groundwater for irrigation uses shall prior to the beginning of each accounting period estimate the amount of groundwater that will be withdrawn and delivered during the next accounting period and shall make such estimate available to the director. The estimate may be modified from time to time as conditions warrant.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 45-468
- Accounting period: means the calendar year, except such other twelve-month period as may be otherwise agreed on by the director and the owner of a farm or a district on behalf of its landowners. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Director: means the director of water resources, who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- Effluent: means water that has been collected in a sanitary sewer for subsequent treatment in a facility that is regulated pursuant to Title 49, Chapter 2. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- Farm: means an area of irrigated land that is under the same ownership, that is served by a water distribution system common to the irrigated land and to which can be applied common conservation, water measurement and water accounting procedures. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Groundwater: means water under the surface of the earth regardless of the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- Person: means an individual, public or private corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, society, estate or trust, any other private organization or enterprise, the United States, any state, territory or country or a governmental entity, political subdivision or municipal corporation organized under or subject to the constitution and laws of this state. See Arizona Laws 45-402
- Surface water: means the waters of all sources, flowing in streams, canyons, ravines or other natural channels, or in definite underground channels, whether perennial or intermittent, floodwater, wastewater or surplus water, and of lakes, ponds and springs on the surface. See Arizona Laws 45-101
B. Within ninety days following the end of each accounting period a person who delivers a combination of surface water or effluent, or both, and groundwater for uses by cities, towns, private water companies, industries, farms or other users shall provide the director with an accounting for water during the past accounting period which shows the following:
1. All surface water provided to each class of user and each farm.
2. All groundwater provided to each class of user and each farm.
3. All effluent provided to each class of user and each farm.
C. If a person delivers water to a user through a delivery system that commingles groundwater with surface water or effluent, or both, the amount of groundwater charged to the user pursuant to the accounting in subsection B shall be computed as follows:
1. Determine the total amount of water delivered to the user through the system during the accounting period.
2. Determine the amount of surface water and effluent that would have been delivered to the user through the system during the accounting period if no groundwater had been delivered through the system.
3. Subtract the amount determined pursuant to paragraph 2 from the amount determined pursuant to paragraph 1.