Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

ASK MR. SUN:

Is the Las Vegas Valley Water District still looking for water wasters?

Sun Topics

Hey Mr. Sun,

I recently heard that the Las Vegas Valley Water District is preparing to shut down its water waste team and that the idea is that even wasted water is revenue. Can it be? Have they lost their minds?

•••

It’s true that the water police aren’t conducting as many investigations as they did a year ago.

According to Las Vegas Valley Water District data, officials averaged 670 investigations a month in Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County during the first three months of 2009. By comparison, last year investigations per month exceeded 1,300.

It’s also true that the water utility’s revenue has declined during the economic downturn.

That doesn’t mean the agency has decided to allow off-day lawn sprinkler use and the wanton washing of cars in the street to make an extra buck, officials said.

J.C. Davis, a spokesman for the district and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said the agency has, like most public agencies, been forced to trim its budget. Six interns and temporary employees who investigated water conservation-rule violators were let go.

The district’s four permanent investigators continue to hunt water wasters, but have also been occupied of late cross-training meter readers to pick up some of the slack from the vacant temp and intern positions, according to Davis.

“When you have limited water resources you can’t abandon conservation efforts,” Davis said. “We know it hits our revenue to sell conservation, but we still have to do it.”

Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to [email protected].

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