Where we work
Water Engineering
Water engineering for Arizona land development: ADWR assured water supply, Active Management Area rules, ADEQ approvals, mains, wells and tanks.
What we do in Arizona
Water engineering in Arizona
MES designs water systems for Arizona land development: distribution mains, service lines, storage tanks, booster stations, wells and treatment. We build the hydraulic models and prepare the approval packages behind them.
We work for developers and builders, utilities and municipalities, and engineering firms that need water help.
Water supply rules and ADEQ review
Supply comes first in Arizona. The state's Active Management Areas (AMAs) include Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson, Prescott, Santa Cruz, Douglas and Willcox. In an AMA, a new subdivision needs a Certificate of Assured Water Supply from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), or a commitment of service from a designated provider. The test is water that is physically, legally and continuously available for 100 years.
Rules on new groundwater supply in the Phoenix AMA have been in dispute since 2023. We confirm ADWR's current position for each site before design starts.
Design review runs through the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), or a county or city it has delegated. A new main, well or treatment system needs an Approval to Construct before work starts. It needs an Approval of Construction before it goes into service. In Maricopa County, the Environmental Services Department reviews water line projects.
Source water quality matters too. Arsenic occurs naturally in Arizona rock and soil and can reach groundwater. Public water systems must meet the federal limit of 10 parts per billion, so a new well may need treatment.
Our work in Arizona and nearby
In Arizona, our utility plans show the water connection for small commercial sites in the Phoenix area, Tucson and Casa Grande, through a drive-up water kiosk site program.
Nearby, in Colorado, our water system work includes groundwater treatment plants, a tank and a new pipe network in Teller County, and a 10-inch waterline extension in Elizabeth.
Common questions
Do I need a Certificate of Assured Water Supply?
If you are subdividing land for sale or lease inside an AMA, yes, unless a designated provider commits to serve the lots. Outside the AMAs, ADWR issues an adequacy determination instead, and some cities and counties require an adequate supply before final plat approval.
What does ADEQ need before a water line is built?
An Approval to Construct, based on plans, specifications and a design report. After the line is built and tested, the engineer files a certificate of completion to get the Approval of Construction. Call (214) 833-6748 to talk through your project.
Talk to an engineer
Tell us about your project.
An engineer reads it
Not a salesperson. Someone who can tell you whether the pathway is real.
You get a first answer
Your options, the agencies involved and the questions that decide cost and schedule.
You decide
No commitment to have the first call.
Prefer the phone? (214) 833-6748