45-2453. Plan for additional storage facilities

A. If a storage facility inventory or an update concludes that additional storage facilities are necessary to meet the needs of the authority for the following ten years, the authority shall develop a plan for the development of additional storage facilities that specifies the type, location, date needed and capacity of additional storage facilities necessary to meet the needs of the authority.

B. In developing the plan for additional storage facilities, the authority shall consider all of the following:

1. The amount of additional storage capacity needed to meet the authority's water storage needs.

2. The advice of the department of water resources regarding where water storage would most contribute to meeting the water management objectives set forth in chapter 2 of this title.

3. The advice of CAWCD regarding the feasibility of delivering and storing central Arizona project water at any proposed storage facility.

4. The advice of the department of environmental quality regarding any potential adverse impacts from a proposed storage facility to landowners and water users in the vicinity of any proposed storage facility.

5. The potential costs to the authority of facilitating the construction or development of a proposed storage facility and the cost-effectiveness of any proposed storage facility.

6. Whether CAWCD or other entities would be willing to construct, maintain and operate any proposed storage facility.

7. The way in which water stored at a proposed storage facility could be used by the authority to achieve the policy and purposes of this chapter.

8. Any other factor the authority determines to be relevant.

C. Before adopting a plan for additional storage facilities, the authority shall prepare a draft plan for additional storage facilities. The authority shall solicit public comment on the draft plan for additional storage facilities by presenting the draft plan:

1. To the groundwater users advisory councils for the Tucson, Phoenix and Pinal active management areas. The presentation shall be made at publicly noticed open meetings of each advisory council at which members of the public shall be allowed to comment on the draft plan for additional storage facilities.

2. If any proposed storage facility is located outside of an active management area, to the county board of supervisors for each county in which a proposed facility is to be located. The presentation shall be made at a publicly noticed open meeting of the county board of supervisors at which members of the public shall be allowed to comment on the draft plan for additional storage facilities.

D. The authority may revise the draft plan for additional storage facilities based on the public comment received.

E. The authority shall adopt the plan for additional storage facilities if the authority determines that the plan, when implemented, will meet the needs of the authority for the following ten years. If adopting a plan for additional storage facilities, the authority shall adopt the plan within nine months of adopting the storage facility inventory or update.

F. The authority may modify an adopted plan for additional storage facilities after soliciting public comment on the modification in accordance with subsection C of this section.