Code Library
Wells: Rules in Phoenix-Area Cities
Domestic wells: drilling notices, exempt wells, capping and construction. City by city, then the Arizona law and model code behind it.
Arizona Law
All Arizona law- State Law · Updated Jul 2026A.R.S. 45-454: Arizona Exempt (Domestic) WellsA.R.S. 45-454 defines Arizona's exempt well. A well whose pump moves 35 gallons per minute or less, used for the home or stock watering, can pump groundwater without a full water right, even inside an Active Management Area. Limits still apply, including a 100-foot rule near a city water system and required drilling paperwork.
- State Law · Updated Jul 2026A.R.S. 45-594: Well Construction Standards and Capping an Open WellA.R.S. 45-594 directs the Arizona Department of Water Resources to set construction standards for wells. The rules cover new and replacement wells, deepening, abandonment, and the capping of open wells. An unused well must be capped or properly abandoned so it is not a hazard or a path for pollution to reach groundwater. The statute also lets the state cap a dangerous, non-compliant well while the owner keeps full liability.
- State Law · Updated Jul 2026A.R.S. 45-596: Notice of Intention to Drill a WellA.R.S. 45-596 requires a Notice of Intention to Drill, filed with Arizona's water agency before any well is drilled or deepened. The notice must name a licensed well driller by license number. The fee is $150, or $100 for a domestic well outside an Active Management Area. The state then mails a drilling card that authorizes the work.
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