Bank gets first water waiver

Sito Negron

Thursday, April 22, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.

The owner of the fountain that started the Las Vegas City Council's mini-revolt against the ban on water features sought and received the first waiver to allow a fountain in Las Vegas.

In response to a regional drought that has dropped the level of Lake Mead -- the valley's primary source of water -- from 1,220 feet to 1,139 feet, water authorities last year said that all water features except those at major resorts had to be turned off.

But after the Thomas and Mack Company complained, the council adopted a policy in early December that allows waivers to the restriction for anyone who shows they are using other ways -- typically described as replacing turf with native landscaping -- to save at least 50 times the amount of water used by the feature.

The fountain application approved Wednesday came from Thomas and Mack Company for the bank building they operate at 2300 W. Sahara Ave.

A company executive told the council Nov. 19 that Thomas and Mack was spending $300,000 to replace the turf in front of the U.S. Bank building at Rancho Drive and Sahara Avenue.

The company received a $40,709 rebate from the Las Vegas Valley Water District earlier this year, according to district records. The Water District offers rebates of $1 per square foot for the first 50,000 square feet of turf removed, then 50 cents per square foot for the next 500,000 square feet.

Thomas and Mack wanted to keep a reflecting pond that loses about 23,000 gallons a year to evaporation. An executive for the company estimated replacing turf on the bank grounds would save 2.5 million gallons a year.

Councilman Larry Brown took the lead in pushing for the program, which he said would lead to real savings, going beyond the symbolism of a dry fountain.

The issue had been bubbling since fall, after the city approved a drought ordinance that was developed by the authority -- a body made up of various jurisdictions in Southern Nevada -- but had to be ratified by each government entity.

The ordinance exempted fountains that served a "core economic function," a statement generally understood to mean such Strip attractions as the Bellagio, The Mirage and Treasure Island. But those were within Clark County's jurisdiction.

The city had a different economic constituency -- commercial developers. Office park operators quickly argued that their water features served core economic functions too.

With the water features, properties were more desirable, and they made more money.