Water on raw land near Sanders, AZ: well, cistern or hauling

By Noam & Carmit · Last checked November 2026

Out past the pavement there's no pipe and no meter. Water is the first thing to figure out, and there are three ways people do it.

1. Haul it

Many people start here. A water tank in the truck bed or on a trailer, filled in town and driven out to the land. It costs the least to start, and it's how a lot of weekend owners do it.

We haven't been able to confirm a public bulk-water fill station in Sanders itself, so ask around town before you count on one. In St. Johns, Double J Water, Ice N More says on its website that it offers bulk fills for large tanks, around the clock.

Use a tank made for drinking water, and keep it clean.

2. Catch the rain

In Arizona it's legal to collect the rain that falls on your property, according to the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center. Local building rules can still apply to the tank and the structure, so check with the county before you build.

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension gives a simple way to estimate what you can catch:

• Roof area in square feet × rainfall in inches × 0.6 = gallons.
• So 1 inch of rain on a 1,000 sq ft roof gives about 600 gallons.
• People living on rainwater typically use 35 to 50 gallons per person per day.
• Plan for about four months of storage as backup.

For drinking, rainwater needs filtering and disinfection. The extension guide describes a common setup: a 5-micron filter, a 3-micron activated carbon filter, and a UV light.

Many people combine the two: rain for most uses, and hauled water to top up the tank in dry months.

3. Drill a well

A well is the long-term answer, and the biggest cost. Here's how it works in Arizona, outside the state's Active Management Areas, which is where Apache County is:

• An "exempt" well is one with a pump of no more than 35 gallons per minute (A.R.S. § 45-454). That covers a home.
• Before drilling, a Notice of Intention to Drill is filed with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). The law sets the fee at $100 for a domestic well outside an Active Management Area with a pump of 35 gallons per minute or less (A.R.S. § 45-596).
• A licensed driller does the work. ADWR issues a drilling card, and the well has to be finished within a year.
• On lots of 5 acres or less, the notice includes a site plan showing the well and any septic within 100 feet of it. Ask the county which office reviews it.

How deep you'll go depends on the spot. Ask a local driller what wells near your parcel have needed.

Test the water

Whatever the source, have well water tested by a certified lab before you drink it.

Near Sanders this matters more than usual. A 1987 U.S. Geological Survey study of wells along the Puerco River found the groundwater high in dissolved solids, sulfate, iron and manganese. Radioactivity was generally below EPA limits, but the study noted that uranium moves easily in that aquifer. In 2016, after uranium was found in some wells, Arizona regulators approved moving a small Sanders water system to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.

A lab test tells you what's in your water, and what filter, if any, you need.

If you're looking at one of our lots

Neither of our lots has a well or a water hookup today. For water and septic questions about a specific parcel, call the Apache County Health Department at (928) 337-7607.

See the two lots