Arizona Laws 45-602. Capping of wells; waste
A. Groundwater which has been withdrawn shall not be allowed to waste. To effectuate the purposes of this section, the director shall:
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 45-602
- Director: means the director of water resources, who is also the director of the department. See Arizona Laws 45-101
- 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
- Well: means a man-made opening in the earth through which water may be withdrawn or obtained from beneath the surface of the earth except as provided in Section 45-591. See Arizona Laws 45-402
1. Require all flowing wells to be capped or equipped with valves so that the flow of water can be completely stopped when not in use.
2. Require both flowing and non-flowing wells to be constructed and maintained so as to prevent waste of groundwater through leaky casing, lack of casings, pipes, fittings, valves or pumps, either above or below the surface of the ground.
B. The reasonable withdrawal of groundwater for development, testing or repair of a well or the inadvertent loss of water due to breakage of a pump, valve, pipe or fitting is not waste if reasonable diligence is shown in effecting the necessary repairs.