Editorial: Water too precious to waste

Friday, Nov. 25, 2005 | 8:47 a.m.

For the first time since 2002, Southern Nevadans are on track to equal or even exceed the amount of water they used the previous year. This is disappointing, as conservation measures adopted in response to a six-year drought had appeared to be achieving a minor miracle.

In 2002, water use amounted to 500,000 acre-feet (one acre-foot is enough for a family of five for a year). After moderate water restrictions were adopted by Clark County and municipal jurisdictions, the use dropped to 465,000 acre-feet by last year, despite heavy population growth. This trend of using less water every year was hoped to continue for some time. But the Southern Nevada Water Authority is projecting that, if anything, water use for 2005 will have increased over 2004.

Water officials cannot pinpoint a reason. Possibly, they say, complacency has taken hold, a theory we find plausible. After two years of reduced water use, and after experiencing a few more rainy days than usual, including some fierce thunderstorms that caused flooding, perhaps conservation stopped being a priority issue for people.

The fact is, however, that water conservation is an even higher priority today than ever. Population in the Las Vegas Valley is still rapidly growing and drought is still parching the Colorado River, which provides 90 percent of our water.

Nevada is approaching the limit on how much it can draw from the river, and without another immediately available source of water, there is only one alternative -- conservation. It is in the best interests of Southern Nevada residents and businesses to honor the spirit of our moderate water restrictions. That's because if they are found not to be succeeding, local governments -- and quite possibly even the Interior Department -- will impose much harsher restrictions. If that happens, we'll learn the hard way that complacency has consequences.