Water-waste fines approved

Wednesday, June 5, 2002 | 9:35 a.m.

Clark County commissioners, operating as the board of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, approved new rules Tuesday designed to discourage water wasting.

The new fees are graduated in five steps, with a typical household user facing a $14 charge for a first offense. The fine for wasting water can go as high at $141 by the fifth offense.

The charges would be posted in the consumer's bill. The new fees are designed to supplement the existing rules, which require a court appearance and can lead to a $1,000 fine if a customer is caught wasting water and refuses to correct the problem.

Water waste is usually defined as water that leaves a property, leading to the many small rivers that run down streets in the Las Vegas Valley.

The Water District is the largest provider in Nevada, with about 800,000 customers. The district and other local water providers are trying to reduce waste, which district officials said totaled 10.4 billion gallons last year in Southern Nevada, enough to cover a square mile 50 feet deep.

The measure passed unanimously without public comment.