Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit to stop Fondomonte LLC, a Saudi-owned company, from excessively pumping groundwater in western Arizona. The lawsuit claims that the company’s actions have created a public nuisance by drying up nearby wells and causing land subsidence in La Paz County.
Mayes argued that while Fondomonte’s activities do not violate state water laws, they are harming the local community. The lawsuit demands that Fondomonte stop the pumping and set up a fund to compensate those affected. The company, however, disputes the allegations and calls the lawsuit a dangerous precedent for the agricultural industry.
The lawsuit also highlights significant environmental consequences. Mayes pointed out that Fondomonte’s operations have led to the drying of wells within a few miles of their farms and caused land to sink by up to 9.8 inches. She claims the company pumped over 31,000 acre-feet of water in 2023, enough to supply water to 93,000 homes.
Mayes stressed that the real issue is the lack of action from the state legislature in regulating groundwater use. La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin echoed this concern, noting that foreign companies like Fondomonte are exploiting the lack of oversight to pump water and ship crops abroad.
While agricultural interests have succeeded in blocking water use restrictions at the Capitol, Mayes hopes her lawsuit will set a precedent to address the unregulated pumping that harms local communities. If successful, she plans to target other companies, including Riverview Dairy in Cochise County.
