Pima County, AZ Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

The Tucson Active Management Area (AMA), administered by ADWR under ARS 45-401 et seq., covers the majority of Pima County. ARS 45-454 requires all new subdivision plats to demonstrate an Assured Water Supply of 100 years of physical, legal, and continuous availability before approval. Tucson Water serves much of the metro area including some unincorporated pockets and enforces tiered water-use restrictions: Stage 1 (voluntary conservation), Stage 2 (mandatory outdoor watering schedules), Stage 3 (outdoor watering bans except established trees). Properties on private wells in unincorporated areas are regulated by ADWR well-spacing and pumping rules. Pima County does not have its own standalone water-restriction ordinance, but the county Comprehensive Plan supports the ADWR conservation mandate. The Central Arizona Project (CAP) provides Colorado River water allocation to the Tucson region through the CAP canal system, supplementing groundwater supplies. Reclaimed water is available for landscape irrigation through Tucson Water's reclaimed system.