Doug Bennett Conservation Manager Southern Nevada Water Authority

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Doug BennettConservation ManagerSouthern Nevada
Water Authority

• Regional Collaboration for
• Water Efficiency

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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Necessity, who is the Mother of invention
Plato, The Republic
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Colorado River

• Sustains over 25 million people in 7 states and
  Mexico
• Supports the Wests most productive agriculture
• 8th year of drought
• 2002 inflow to Powell just 26 of average
• Current storage about 50 of capacity
• Provides 90 of Southern Nevadas Water

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Dividing the WatersWho shares the Colorado?
7.5 million Acre Feet for Lower Basin states
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Late 1980s Three fast-growing cities competing
for Colorado River water A single,
federally-owned treatment plant No coordinated
conservation plan Limited info on supplies and
future demand Prospect of water shortage by
mid-1990s
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Early 1990s Began integrated water resource
planning First comprehensive review of water
commitments Paved the way for refocused
interagency relationships Jurisdictions adopted
similar, but inconsistent, ordinances to limit
lawn grass and man-made lakes
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Paradigm Shift Switched from simple accounting
process to water resource management
planning Resource Plan considers both temporary
and permanent supplies to create a portfolio of
shared resources Resource Plan is updated
annually Agreed to pursue conservation regionally
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Established 1991
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Purpose of the SNWA Regional coordination and
management of water resources Unified national
and regional representation Construct operate
regional facilities Protect and enhance quality
of the water resource Promote effect regional
water efficiency
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Southern Nevada Water Authority
Why SNWA Works SNWAs limited and well-defined
scope Focus on mutual success of the community
and the regional economy Strength in partnership
to achieve member goals Interagency staff
coordination precedes board actions Equal agency
power, regardless of size
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Drought
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Lake Mead 2000
Elevation 1214 Feet
Marina
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Lake Mead 2004
Current Elevation 1,111 Feet
Photo Elevation 1,132 Feet
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Water Use in Urban Las Vegas
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2004 SNWA Service Area Municipal Metered Water
Consumption
Notes (a) Municipal metered water consumption
billed to customers from all sources (potable and
non-potable). (b) Potable includes ground water
and Colorado River water (c) Non-Potable
includes raw Colorado River water, reclaimed and
reused water (d) SNWA Service Area reflects the
following municipal service areas Big Bend
Water District, City of Boulder City, City of
Henderson, City of Las Vegas, City of North Las
Vegas, Clark County Water Reclamation District,
and Las Vegas Valley Water District.
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Return Flow Credits
Colorado River water is consumed primarily by
landscape and cooling. Indoor water use has
negligible impact.
CREDIT
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DEBIT
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Estimated Consumptive Use by Sector
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Typical Mega-Resort Water Use
Air Conditioning water use exceeds all other
consumptive uses combined
Consumptive (outdoor) 25

• Mega-Resort Facts
• About 3,000 rooms
• Average 110 acre parcel
• lt 2 pools fountains
• lt 4 landscaping
• 94 buildings surfaces

Non-consumptive (indoor) 75
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Caesars Palace Street View
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Caesars Palace Aerial View
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Successful Implementation

• Know the big picture Where each of your water
  supplies come from and the policies that regulate
  their use.
• Know who uses the water in your community and how
  they use it. Focus upon and communicate the
  facts and vital opportunities.
• Establish key values before you develop the
  strategies.
• Involve inform key stakeholders in programming
  and strategies, even if informal. Allow choices
  wherever possible.

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Successful Implementation

• Community information and understanding
  accelerate and expand results. Partner with the
  media.
• Incentives play a supporting role in demand
  reductions but are vital to sustain community
  support.
• Assure equity in regulatory programs everyone
  needs to contribute.
• Enforce what you adopt. Credibility is
  irreplaceable.

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SNWA Drought Response Planning

• - Interagency team develops guiding plan
• All jurisdictions adopt plan by resolution and
  collaborate on model ordinance
• Proposed requirements negotiated to assure
  consistency and equity
• Each jurisdiction adopts ordinances and is
  responsible for enforcement
• Public and industry input is vital and occurs at
  various stages of the process

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SNWA Drought Plan Outcomes

• Principal Regulatory Tools
• Restricted seasonal watering schedules
• Landscape development restrictions
• Golf course water budgets
• Water waste penalties
• Ornamental water feature restrictions

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SNWA Drought Plan Primary Regulatory Tools
New Development Standards

• No ornamental turf in commercial landscapes HOA
  common areas. Parks allowed.
• No lawns in new residential front yards.
  Backyard lawns limited.
• Apartments golf courses limited to half of turf
  allowance under non-drought conditions.

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Water Waste Enforcement

• All jurisdictions use the same policy
• About 30,000 inspections per year
• Nearly 10,000 notices per year
• About 2,000 fee violations per year
• Over 400,000 assessed annually

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Golf Water Budgets
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Conversion of non-functional turf is a major
strategy for coping with water budgets.
Before
After
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Incentive Programs
About 1,000 property owners apply to convert to
Water Smart Landscape every month
Before
After
SNWA has rebated nearly 100 million square feet
of lawn conversion, saving over five billion
gallons annually
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Doug BennettConservation ManagerSouthern Nevada
Water Authority1-702-862-3777doug.bennett_at_snwa.
com

• QUESTIONS?