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Prop 200 analysis

Proposition 200 seeks to extend and strengthen the Water Consumer Protection Act, which was passed in 1995 by voters to prohibit the City of Tucson from sending Central Arizona Project (CAP) water to houses.

What Proposition 200 will do

1. Require that all ground water pumped from Tucson's central wellfield, the aquifer beneath the city, be fully replenished within five years by recharge of CAP water in river basins and streambeds within the Tucson area.

2. Extend restrictions outlined in the Water Consumer Protection Act regarding the use of CAP water for municipal use for five years beyond the five years allotted for recharge of the central wellfield.

3. Put salary penalties on City Council members if they fail to meet these deadlines, and require a 5/7 majority to change the laws only after 10 years have passed.

Arguments against Proposition 200

1. The basins and streams that proponents of Proposition 200 want to use for recharge flow away from Tucson, so very little of the water might actually get to the central wellfield - it would end up somewhere up north, around Marana, instead.

2. The provisions restricting the City Council have been found by the City Attorney's office to be in conflict with the state constitution, Arizona statutes and the city charter. They will be legally challenged if passed.

3. CAP water is not low-quality water; it simply comes from a different source. People in San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles have been drinking CAP water for decades and have not had any problems with it.

Arguments for Proposition 200

1. Ground water is the best water. The city should force mines, industries and farms to use CAP water and leave ground water for the city to use.

2. CAP water has a different chemical makeup than ground water; if we allow it to be recharged into the central wellfield, it will be filtered by the sediments in the ground, so when it's pumped back up, it will essentially be ground water.

3. Restricting water use will slow growth.