Water waste could lead to higher rates, fines

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 | 10:58 a.m.

Water tips Watering restriction begin for most of Clark County on Wednesday and last through Sept. 30. For North Las Vegas residents, watering between 11 a.m. and 7p.m. is prohibited. Watering between noon and 7 p.m. is prohibited in Las Vegas, Henderson and unincorporated Clark County.

For conservation tips or free lessons to set sprinkler clocks and irrigation systems, call the Southern Nevada Water Authority conservation hotline at 258-SAVE (258-7283). Call the same number to report water waste or abuse.

Facing a drought and poor water conservation numbers, regional water agency officials said Monday that they are contemplating tough new measures to prompt greater conservation.

Pat Mulroy, the Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager, said the situation will likely lead to higher water rates and bigger fines for wasters. The Water Authority and municipal distribution agencies could start considering upping the ante on the issue next month.

"I was disappointed," Mulroy said, "but we've known all along that people were going to get complacent. People are comfortable with the rates and they've gotten complacent.

"What really concerns me now is that we are in the middle of a drought."

If the region still fails to control water use, the answer could include water rationing -- a measure that could have serious impacts on landscaping throughout the urban area, Mulroy warned.

The Water Authority's 2001 water conservation goal of 19.5 percent conservation, per user, compared to 1995 levels fell short last year by more than 30 percent. That is equivalent to a total of 10.4 billion gallons of water, enough to cover one square mile, 50 feet deep.

At the same time, the region is in a two-year drought that has reduced the availability of water along the Colorado River -- the source of 85 percent of the region's drinking water.

Snowpack levels, which provide the water that runs into the Colorado River and Lake Mead, are half of what they should be, according to the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Already, stringent water conservation measures are in place for many consumers in Colorado.

Mulroy said this summer will be a critical test for the Las Vegas region's ability to control water use.

"The time to do something is now," Mulroy said. "If we have another difficult year, things are going to be tough. We have to get serious about conservation.

"We have so much water running down the street, just stopping that would make a huge difference."

A tougher stance against water waste might include disconnecting water to chronic abusers, she said.

Mulroy, Gov. Kenny Guinn and regional elected leaders kicked off the summer's conservation program today at a morning press conference.

The primary target for the campaign will be outdoor irrigation.

According to the Water Authority, 90 percent of water that homeowners use in the summer months is used outdoors, and half of that is wasted.

While some of that is wasted through evaporation, the most obvious misuse is in letting the water run down the street -- a common sight in many residential neighborhoods, said Doug Bennett, Las Vegas Valley Water District conservation manager.

The Water District is one of six local agencies that bring authority water to the end users.

Bennett said the water distributors such as the district can fine people up to $1,000 for wasting water, although the average fine -- which is set by the court -- is $185.

Bennett said that contrary to what some believe, water waste does not come from the hotels along the Strip. The resorts use just 8 percent of the water drawn from Lake Mead, he said.

But because the hotels return much of that water to be recycled or treated and returned to the lake, the resorts' final rate of consumption is just 2 or 3 percent, Bennett said.

Last year, 28 users were cited for chronically wasting water, even after multiple requests to correct the problem, he said. Of those, 21 were commercial users, including apartment complexes, and seven were residential consumers.

In four cases, warrants for the users' arrest were issued because they failed to show up to court, Bennett said.

He said the process is often adversarial, but it should not be. Bennett said his agency tries calling and sending a warning letter and a certified letter before issuing a court notice.

"We don't want to issue citations. We want to save water, " Bennett said. "We would hope that would be the goal of the customers as well."

Chris Chairsell, acting president of the Nevada State College and a political science professor with a background in water issues, said she sees how Southern Nevadans are failing to meet the area's conservation goals.

"It's happening in the yards, people leaving their sprinklers on," said Chairsell, who added that she has found irrigation problems at her own home.

Many of the people who have moved to the region in the last few years may not know the importance of saving water, she said.

"Sometimes it's just people being careless," she said. "We need to start seeing that we live in a desert."

Chairsell, like the officials from the water agencies, said the issue is one of the most critical affecting the region's ability to continue to grow and prosper.

"Water is our lifeblood," she said. "It is our quality of life."