Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to provide for the municipal use of geothermal water.

This legislation updates the Reasonably Anticipated Future Needs (RAFN) statutes to include municipal geothermal systems as an allowable municipal purpose. The legislation codifies geothermal system best practices focused on non-consumptive use and reinjection to preserve the water while maximizing access to the heat resource. This will allow municipal geothermal systems to have better flexibility in obtaining and holding water rights needed to serve their community’s heating needs.