LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Southern Nevada heavily relies on the Colorado River for its water supply but due to low water levels at Lake Mead, the Southern Nevada Water Authority is urging the community to stay water-smart.
There are a number of community initiatives already in place for water conservation and the efforts have helped safeguard the water supply. Nearly all the water used in southern Nevada is treated and returned to Lake Mead.
Here are some things you can do to conserve water:
- Monitoring your water clock and change it to follow the watering schedules for the appropriate season
- Report water waste from broken sprinklers or if you see water leaking from the street or a meter box
- Consider removing your grass and replacing it with desert landscaping. You could qualify for a rebate
- If you have a home with grass or a pool, monitor your water usage
“With average usage throughout the year, which ended up being 10 to 15% of the time that they had a pool cover on but those people that had pool covers, they were saving around 8,000 to 10,000 so they’re almost saving half of the water by having a pool cover on it,” said Toby Bickmore, SNWA conservation supervisor.
The SNWA is also working to remove recreational nonfunctional grass around businesses throughout the Las Vegas valley by 2027.
According to SNWA, the declared shortage will cut southern Nevada’s annual water allocation by nearly 7 billion gallons this year. This is enough water to serve more than 40,000 households for a year. If Lake Mead’s water level continues to decline, additional cuts will follow.