Outwardly, a fierce battle is raging over how to manage water supplies in areas of Arizona that lack regulation.

Critics on both sides are pressing lawmakers to abandon competing bills that promise to provide the locally focused option that many in these areas say they want.

But behind the scenes, the bills’ sponsors and other groups are meeting in hopes of finding common ground — and are cautiously optimistic that they can find it.

I know. It’s tempting to say, “Yeah, right,” and brace for the fallout when everything falls apart.

Compromise is a dirty word in state politics these days.

Not to mention that just a few weeks ago — or, heck, if we’re honest, even now — many observers believed that efforts to regulate rural water use were DOA.

They suspected that Republicans would ram their preferred solution, unchanged, through the House and Senate.

And then the Democratic governor — who considers some provisions in that solution as non-starters — would swiftly veto it,........

© Arizona Republic