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House panel backs $100,000 study of brackish groundwater desalination sites
Summary
The Arizona House Appropriations Committee voted to advance HB2056, which would appropriate $100,000 to the Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination in several basins. Sponsor Rep. Gail Griffin said the basins hold an estimated 600,000,000 acre-feet in storage; opponents warned of risks to aquifers.
The Arizona House Appropriations Committee gave HB2056 a due-pass recommendation after a roll-call vote of 11 yes, 6 no and 1 not voting. The bill would appropriate $100,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2027 to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of potential brackish groundwater desalination project sites, including Gila Bend, the Verde Plain, the West Salt River Valley and the Little Colorado River Plateau.
Sponsor Rep. Gail Griffin (LD 14) told the committee an updated brackish groundwater study at DWR estimates the basins contain “over 600,000,000 acre-feet of brackish groundwater in storage,” and said the state should examine whether treating that water would expand usable supplies amid negotiations over Colorado River allocations.
Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton voiced opposition during the roll call, saying treating brackish water is not necessarily “new” water and could threaten aquifer health; she voted no. No formal amendment was adopted. The committee recorded 11 yes votes, six no votes and one not voting; the chair announced the bill returned with a due-pass recommendation.
Next steps: HB2056 moves to the full House for further consideration and any floor amendments. Committee members said staff and DWR will be available to provide additional technical details during later stages of legislative review.
