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WRA: Water

Water Conservation Tips – You Can do it!

Wondering how you can save water at home? You can make a difference by following some simple suggestions prepared by your friends at WRA. Click here for a list of quick and easy tips.

Water Conservation in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Valley is a place that has built its reputation on extravagant excess; opportunities to “win big” greet you with nearly every turn, the population is booming, and the economy is thriving.

However, with only four inches of precipitation each year, Las Vegas is the second driest city in the nation (Yuma, AZ is the first). In an attempt to meet the growing urban demand, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) is pursuing a plan to pump groundwater over 200 miles from rural parts of northern Nevada down into the Valley. This proposal threatens to negatively impact both water users and southwestern river systems.

WRA works as part of a coalition to find ways to protect the people and ecosystems of rural Nevada. Through testimony before decision makers, a new report comparing water conservation strategies in the Valley to other southwestern cities, and continued pressure on the SNWA, progress is slowly being achieved. Late last fall, the SNWA doubled their rebate for replacing water thirsty lawn turf with native drought-tolerant landscaping and the Las Vegas Valley Water District improved water rate structures to further encourage conservation. The state engineer also made decisions that limit how much groundwater can be harvested from Nevada aquifers — denying SNWA part of their claim to rural water.

WRA will continue working for sustainable solutions to meet southern Nevada’s water needs. Through continued technical analysis and close collaboration with coalition members we will find innovative ways to protect water resources throughout the southwest.

Related Reports:

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada’s (PLAN) report, Where does it start? Where will it end? Las Vegas and the Groundwater Development Project, provides an overview of the potential plans, costs and impacts of the Southern Nevada Water Authority's proposal to extract groundwater from rural Nevada and Utah and send it over 250 miles to Las Vegas. To read the full report, click here (10 Mb).

Western Resource Advocate’s report illustrates that although communities in the Southwest have taken impressive strides to reduce urban water demand, there is still more that can be done. Water in the Urban Southwest: An Updated Analysis of Water Use in Albuquerque, Las Vegas Valley and Tucson provides new information on water use in these fast growing municipalities and shows that business, schools and resorts are integrating conservation into their day–to-day practices, reducing their demand by millions of gallons each year. To read the full report, click here (4.6 Mb).

Success in Denver:
New Water Rates to Encourage Conservation

For over a year, WRA has been encouraging the Denver Water Department to adopt water rates that will promote conservation. WRA picked Denver Water as a key utility for change because Denver Water serves 1.2 million customers and because the utility has plans to divert additional water from the Colorado River Basin —water that is needed on the West Slope for local communities, economies, and the environment.

Our advocacy for improved water rates has included discussions with Denver Water staff, board members, and Denver’s Citizens ’Advisory Committee. Last summer, we partnered with another non-profit group that canvassed door-to-door in Denver and its suburbs with our rates analysis and talking points in hand. The canvass raised citizen awareness issue and generated over 1000 letters to the board.

Our efforts paid off. In September of 2005, the Water Department’s board of directors voted to adopt a new rate structure that will charge customers slightly more per gallon if they reach very high levels of use. It thus provides greater incentive for more efficient water use, especially outdoor watering. The rates took effect on January 1, 2006. This recent and important action is part of a new and evolving approach by Denver Water. Chips Barry, Denver Water’s General Manager, wrote a Denver Post column on September 9, 2005 describing a “new ethic” of conservation that is sweeping the City of Denver and his department. WRA continues to help Denver Water make even more progress through membership in a committee working on a long-term rate adjustment and revising Denver’s Integrated Resource Plan.