Arizona’s Attorney General is suing a Saudi Arabian ag business for alleged violations of a public nuisance law involving groundwater pumping.
The lawsuit claims Fondomonte Arizona, a Saudi Arabian-owned alfalfa farm has extracted huge amounts of water from the area’s aquifer. The AG claims the depletion is a safety risk to rural infrastructure and calls it unsustainable.
A water policy expert says Arizona is governed by the rule of reasonable use, meaning anyone can drill a well and pump groundwater as long as the use is considered reasonable. Arizona is one of many western states that have struggled with water due to prolonged drought.
