Editorial: Water-smart leaders

Monday, Nov. 10, 2003 | 8:43 a.m.

More than 30,000 new homes and apartment units are projected to be built in Summerlin between now and 2020. The developer, Howard Hughes Corp., has shown leadership in a decision it announced last week.

No turf will be planted in the front yards of its new Summerlin homes and apartment units, and only half of the rear and side areas of the homes and apartments will have grass. Instead, the areas will be landscaped with a combination of drought-tolerant plants and attractive rock and gravel. Also, common areas will be landscaped without grass, unless they are planned for active use. Additionally, Summerlin builders will go beyond existing regulations for water-efficient interior plumbing and offer high-efficiency dishwashers, hot-water recirculation systems and other water-smart fixtures as options.

Other developers are also showing signs of cooperating with and going beyond the Southern Nevada drought plan. The Las Vegas Valley needs this kind of leadership if it is going to continue extracting benefits from growth, such as high employment and low cost of living. We hope all developers in the valley get into the spirit of water conservation. It's the best way to ensure that those plans looking ahead to 2020 and beyond will be realized.