The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the City of Chandler in a long-running fight with the Roosevelt Water Conservation District, holding that a 2002 domestic water agreement is still valid and enforceable through 2086. The ruling could open the door for about 27,000 Chandler households to stop subsidizing surface‑water rights they say they have not received, roughly $1.7 million a year in RWCD property taxes. City officials say the district stopped selling water to Chandler around 2015 and later told the city the contract had ended in 2018, which set off the litigation.
Supreme Court says one-year deadline does not sink Chandler's suit
The high court concluded that the one‑year limitations law in A.R.S. § 12‑821 does not "abrogate the common law doctrine of nullum tempus occurrit regi" and therefore does not bar Chandler’s claims. The court wiped out the earlier Court of Appeals decision and instructed the superior court to enter judgment declaring the 2002 agreement valid and enforceable. As outlined by the Arizona Supreme Court, Justice James P. Beene wrote the opinion and Justice Clint Bolick filed a dissent.
Mayor calls it a win for taxpayers and water security
"Nearly 27,000 Chandler households have paid Roosevelt Water Conservation District property taxes for years without water benefits. That ends with this ruling," Mayor Kevin Hartke said, hailing a decision the city says will restore a key piece of Chandler’s 100‑year assured water supply. The city has previously pegged those resident assessments at roughly $1.7 million a year, and its news release lays out background on the 2002 agreement and the city's next steps. As reported by the City of Chandler, officials also urged residents to stay plugged in to the district's board meetings and elections.
How the dispute unfolded
The 2002 Domestic Water Service Agreement was crafted to convert RWCD's irrigation water rights into treated drinking water as farmland gave way to homes and businesses, and Chandler purchased more than 40,000 acre‑feet of water under the deal through 2015. The Water District stopped selling water to Chandler after 2015 and notified the city in 2018 that it believed the agreement had ended, leading Chandler to seek judicial relief in 2022. The timeline and the earlier appellate ruling are detailed in the Arizona Court of Appeals opinion.
What's next: enforcement, talks and possible reforms
The Supreme Court's order sends the case back to the superior court to enter judgment and enforce the agreement, a move that could require RWCD to resume deliveries or spur negotiated remedies and adjustments for taxpayers. City officials said they are ready to move quickly to implement the decision and work with RWCD so Chandler residents receive the water benefits they have been funding, according to KJZZ. Lawmakers have also debated legislative fixes aimed at irrigation‑district assessments since the dispute first grabbed attention, as reported by Arizona PBS.
How residents can follow the case
Chandler is encouraging residents in the RWCD service area to keep an eye on board meetings, elections and the city's updates as the case returns to the lower court. The city's news center links to RWCD resources and meeting information on the City of Chandler page.
