Editorial: A matter of fairness

Friday, Nov. 14, 2003 | 5:37 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION Nov. 15 - 16, 2003

From Aug. 1 to Nov. 6, the number of fines issued by the Las Vegas Valley Water District for wasting water totaled 437. The district covers Las Vegas and Clark County.

North Las Vegas and Henderson have their own water-waste investigators. And their combined number of fines levied during the same period? One.

Population alone does not explain the discrepancy. Henderson and North Las Vegas together send out nearly 120,000 water bills. The Las Vegas Valley Water District has 270,000 accounts. If Henderson and North Las Vegas had the same enforcement policy as the water district, they would have handed out 175 fines.

Ending water waste became a top priority this past summer as Southern Nevada entered its fourth year of drought. Last month the U.S. Agriculture Department declared all of Nevada a disaster area because of its prolonged dryness. And earlier this month the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly report compiled by the National Weather Service, assessed that Southern Nevada remains in "extreme" drought. Because the immediate future showed no relief in sight, the Southern Nevada Water Authority drafted a water conservation plan that was approved this summer by all local governments.

North Las Vegas and Henderson say they have had success in teaching users how to comply with the plan without resorting to fines. The water district also says it stresses education, but the numbers show it is much more inclined to levy fines. In fairness to all water users, the three should work together to ensure that their enforcement policies do not vary so widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.