SB 1381 amends Arizona’s well-drilling notice statute to require more detailed location information in a notice of intention to drill. The bill adds a requirement that the notice include the legal description and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the proposed well location, alongside the existing information about the applicant, well design, intended use, and driller credentials. It also preserves the current framework requiring a notice, review by the Department of Water Resources, and issuance of a drilling card before drilling or deepening most wells.
The bill also continues and clarifies several existing safeguards for domestic wells on small parcels, including submission of a well site plan showing septic or sewer systems and health-authority approval, as well as variance procedures when local conditions prevent compliance. It maintains restrictions on wells near contaminated groundwater or remedial action sites, including special review timelines and denial authority where a proposed well could cause migration of contaminated groundwater. Filing fees remain $150 generally, or $100 for certain small domestic wells outside active management and irrigation nonexpansion areas.
Impact
SB 1381 would amend section 45-596 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, affecting the permitting and notice process for well drilling statewide. Its main legal change is to require GPS coordinates in the notice of intention to drill, which would give the Department of Water Resources more precise location data for administration, review, and enforcement. The bill does not create a new permitting program, but it strengthens the existing notice-and-approval system for wells, especially domestic wells, replacement wells, and wells near environmental cleanup sites. Affected parties include well drillers, property owners, county and local health authorities, and the Department of Water Resources.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or partisan division in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears technical and administrative rather than controversial, with a focus on improving location accuracy and regulatory oversight. The inclusion of GPS coordinates and continued environmental safeguards suggests the bill is aimed at compliance and public-health administration rather than changing substantive water-rights policy.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the added compliance burden on applicants and drillers, and the expanded precision requirements for filing notices. Property owners and well drillers may view the GPS requirement and detailed site-plan review as additional paperwork, while regulators and environmental officials are likely to support the added specificity for enforcement and contamination screening. Another possible area of concern is the continued authority of the Department of Water Resources and local health authorities to approve, deny, or require variances for well placement near septic systems or remedial action sites.