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Vegas - 2015 - Issue 2 - Late Spring

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A long-term drought puts a spotlight on water conservation. by karen rose Dry times "Last year was horrifc," says former Southern Nevada water czar Pat Mulroy. General manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District until retiring last year, and currently a senior fellow for climate adaptation and environmental policy at UNLV's Brookings Mountain West, Mulroy is referring to the 15-year drought affecting the Colorado River and Lake Mead, the reservoir that provides water for much of the Southwest, including Southern Nevada. "Lake Mead plummeted signifcantly last year, and this year it will continue to go down," she says. "In all likelihood, by 2016 or 2017 we will be in shortage conditions." The drought has many causes, but Mulroy cites one in particular: "As far as I'm concerned, this is a manifestation of the onset of the effects of climate change." One of the nation's driest cities, Las Vegas also uses more water than most urban areas—212 gallons per person every day. That's down from 314 gallons in 2002, when conservation efforts began in earnest. "The strategy was: Conserve early," says Mulroy. "And despite the fact that we were growing over the next six years, increasing our population by 400,000, Southern Nevadans cut water use by a third." The current goal is to get that down to 199 gallons per capita by 2035, and we're well on our way. One key initiative? Bribery. "The water authority began to pay its customers to take their grass out and replace it with desert landscaping in 1999," she explains. As well, newly constructed houses cannot have front lawns, and backyards may contain no more than 50 percent turf. "And the program has been hugely successful. As a result, when the river does go into shortages, Southern Nevada has already conserved it. That's the beauty of taking early measures." Mulroy adds that Las Vegas's big resorts account for only 3 percent of the area's water usage. "The big water user is the individual home- owner," she says, but the business community has led the way in reducing water use. "They were a great role model—they invested heavily. Golf courses took out acres of nonplaying turf. The hotels took out decorative grass and put in arti- fcial turf. They spent huge amounts to upgrade their evaporative coolers. So the business com- munity can't be faulted for nonresponse." Southern Nevada recycles 93 percent of its wastewater. But water used outside often can't be recycled, so that's where conservation efforts are focused. "We wanted permanent conservation," says Mulroy, "not just a temporary response to a temporary drought measure. We wanted to per- manently change the way Southern Nevada uses water. And that's a journey; that's not an event." clockwise from far left: The water for the famous Bellagio fountains comes not from the municipal water supply but from a privately owned 8.5-acre lake; watering restrictions—and an eco-conscience—require desert landscaping with drought- resistant plants; greeting guests at the LEED Gold–certified Aria at CityCenter is this 87-foot sculpture of the Colorado River, made entirely from reclaimed silver by artist Maya Lin, a conservationist who also designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. WhAt residents cAn do to help conserve WAter • Follow the rules set by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (snwa. com/consv/restrictions. html), including restric- tions on the amount of water that residents can use for landscaping, as well as the time of day. • If you haven't yet replaced your lawn with desert landscaping, now is the time. Through its Water Smart Landscapes program, the SNWA rebates customers $1.50 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with desert landscap- ing (after the frst 5,000 square feet, it's $1 per square foot). • Get a pool cover—they can save thousands of gallons of water each year. The SNWA offers a coupon for up to $200 off the purchase price of a permanent mechani- cal pool cover. Rebate coupons are also avail- able for smart irrigation controllers and rain sensors for more effcient watering. • Check for leaks in your sprinkler system, water softener, pool, and main service line. If you notice that your water bill is exceptionally high and then fx a leak, you can qualify for an adjustment. • Use a drive-through car wash, which employs less water than washing with a hose. The SNWA website has a list of car washes that recycle water on-site or send it to be treated and returned to Lake Mead. VeGASMAGAzINe.COM 93

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