A judge won’t back down — even temporarily — from his ruling that state water officials acted illegally in changing the rules for home builders. In a new order, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney rejected claims by Bo Dul, an attorney for the Department of Water Resources, that the ruling against a policy to prevent new home construction in areas without a 100-year water supply was likely to be overturned on appeal. … The new order most immediately affects efforts by developers to build homes in some communities on the edge of the Phoenix area. But there are broader implications going forward. The order reaffirms Blaney’s conclusion that DWR is not free to make what he considered to be a significant change in the rules about where residential development can occur without going through the legal process, one that requires public hearings and other input.

Other groundwater news:

• SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.): Farmers should seek state’s help with upcoming groundwater reports