Build to suit
Drilling a well for a new home in Arizona
Notice of intent, licensed drillers, the 35-gallon-per-minute exempt-well rule and septic setbacks, from the Department of Water Resources.
File before you drill
Arizona's Department of Water Resources regulates all groundwater wells in the state. Before drilling a new well, or deepening or modifying one, a Notice of Intent to Drill must be filed with ADWR along with the filing fee. The authorization is valid for one year, and a licensed well-drilling contractor must do the work.
Exempt wells for households
Most homes use what ADWR calls an exempt well: a well typically used for domestic purposes and equipped to pump 35 gallons per minute or less. Wells with greater pump capacity are non-exempt and, inside Active Management Areas, require a water right or permit.
Every well gets a registration number
All wells should have a registration number beginning with 55- followed by six digits. For a new well it's assigned when the Notice of Intent is received. If you're buying land with an existing well, ADWR's online registry lets you search by parcel number, and the record often needs updating to the new owner's name.
Mind the septic setback
State rules prohibit drilling a well within 100 feet of a septic system, sewage disposal area or certain hazardous-material sites unless the ADWR director authorizes it in writing. Some counties also set distances from property lines or other wells, so check locally before placing the home, well and septic on a site plan.
Shared wells
Not every rural home has its own well; some share one. Our Rio Verde homes use a shared well. ADWR says it doesn't regulate shared-well agreements, which are civil matters between the parties, so review any agreement carefully.
Where to start
ADWR publishes a plain-language guide to drilling a domestic water well and a searchable list of licensed drillers. Tell us about your parcel and we'll look at water as part of the site review.