Water district budget up 18 percent

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

Higher charges for wholesale water, increased costs for security and the drought affecting the Colorado River are driving up the budget for the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

But the growing number of customers for the agency is helping to balance the books.

The Clark County Commission, acting as the district board, approved the agency's budget 7-0 Monday, including a $17.7 million increase in revenue from water sales to individual homeowners and businesses and a $23.3 million increase in connection charges and other fees.

The agency, which supplies homes and businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county and the city of Las Vegas, expects to receive $216.8 million in the next fiscal year in revenue from customers, up from $199 million this year.

The agency's total operating budget will grow from $170.1 million to $210.1 million this year, almost an 18 percent jump, district officials told the commissioners.

The operating budget increase includes $15 million more for wholesale water from the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which increased its charge from $200 an acre-foot of water to $215 last week. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or enough water for a typical family for a year.

Las Vegas takes about 300,000 acre-feet from Lake Mead annually.