67 residents cited for waste on first day of water limits

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2003 | 9:38 a.m.

On the first day of new water rules Monday, 67 homeowners were cited for wasteful use of water, a Las Vegas Valley Water District official said.

Of those, 12 homeowners were watering on the wrong day of the week, said J.C. Davis, a water district spokesman.

None of the citations included fines. The people who were cited will be checked to see if they corrected the problem, Davis said.

After that, the first fine will be $20, and fines double after that in each month's water bill if the problem is not addressed.

People charged fees for wasting water can get a rebate by attending a water efficiency class.

Water District customers are not permitted to water their lawns between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. through Sept. 30, Davis said.

A simple gesture such as shutting off a sprinkler system after a rainstorm can add up to huge savings, Davis said.

A single home that doesn't water for a day can save 500 gallons of water, he said.

Getting people to switch from summer's seven-day schedule to a three- to five-day watering schedule is one goal of the Water District.

"It is a tremendous potential for us to save water," Davis said. "This is a very common-sense watering schedule, and you can make a huge impact on water use without any impact on your landscape or your quality of life."

There are some exemptions from the rules. Hand-watering for less than five minutes is allowed. So is watering new plants or seedlings less than 30 days old, including newly overseeded lawns.

Vehicles may be washed once a week for up to 10 minutes.