LAS VEGAS, NV (KTNV) — Now more than ever, it's vital that we all do our part to conserve water. Our report about the top residential water users can be found here.
In this report, 13 Investigates continues coverage with the newest data for the commercial side, looking at the businesses that in some cases used even more water in 2022 than the year before.
The Las Vegas Valley Water District says Lake Mead is at less than 30 percent capacity. The worst drought in the Colorado River basin's recorded history underscores conservation mandates like seasonal watering restrictions, smaller swimming pools for new construction, a grass replacement program and golf course water budgets. But not everyone is doing more with less.
"The Colorado River is the hardest working river in the United States, and it generates trillions of dollars to our national economy," says Bronson Mack, a spokesperson for Las Vegas Valley Water District.
All the more reason to respect our dwindling resource.
Some businesses are restricting water use to contribute to conservation but others...not so much.
As we take a look at the Top 10 list for commercial water consumers, we find a familiar group of world-famous destinations on the Las Vegas strip and golf courses.
At no.1 is Mandalay Bay using 530,102,000 gallons in 2022.
The Venetian is no. 2, using 498,434,000.
Followed by Caesars Palace in third place with 494,291,000.
All those properties increased their water use a little year-to-year which is to be expected with tourism back to pre-pandemic levels.
We reached out to all three but only the Venetian responded, providing the following statement:
"The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, one of the world’s largest green buildings, is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core values of serving people, planet, and communities. As one of the largest resort’s on the Las Vegas Strip, with more than 16 million square feet, housing more than 7,000 suites and 2.25 million square feet of meeting space, expectedly water usage for the resort will be high compared to smaller resorts. However, among the resort’s overall sustainability program, we understand the importance of water conservation, specifically in Southern Nevada, and we have incorporated and installed water conservation best practices throughout the resort saving millions of gallons of water per year, such as:
A nano water-filtration system, which saves 25 million gallons of non-potable groundwater annually. This water is used to keep The Palazzo tower’s horticulture needs 100% off the water grid.
Cooling towers, the resort’s largest consumers of water, are almost completely off the water grid for building air conditioning needs.
Through Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified low-flow water efficient plumbing fixtures which have been installed throughout the resort, we save more than 33 million gallons of non-consumptive water annually.
In addition, The Venetian Resort uses 50% less water per square foot basis when compared to the EPA’s median water use intensity (gallons/square footage) of hotels."
The Water District confirms that cooling systems account for most of the water that's lost forever at big strip locations. Mack says the agency will ensure more water efficiency as the valley grows.
"Prohibiting grass in any new development, commercial or residential, prohibiting evaporative cooling in new commercial development," says Mack. "We balance our water supplies with our water demands. And we need to stay focused on conservation going forward."
Part of conservation includes water budgets for golf courses, which brings us to the no. 4 spot on the list. Angel Park Golf Club used 452,144,00 that's 35-million more than the year before.
At no. 5 with 399,377,000, Southern Highlands Golf Club saw an increase of 11,136,000 gallons in 2022. With all the work golf courses have done for years to reduce water use, why did these two clubs use more? We reached out multiple times for an explanation but they did not respond.
The Water District tells us despite the increased use, both courses are still under the water budget set by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
While Angel Park and Southern Highlands both went up, Red Rock Country Club--which consists of two golf courses--their water use went down. They cut 90,000,000 gallons year-to-year. They attribute that in part to milder weather but also to using Bermuda grass on the green, which uses less water in hotter temperatures. And also, they continue to remove non-essential turf like in several areas, replacing it with water-smart landscaping.Those efforts have knocked them out of the Top 10.
Businesses still in the Top 10 across the Valley:
- Revere Golf Club in Henderson at 394,077,000
- MGM Grand Hotel Casino at 383,088,000
- The Bellagio at 376,066,000
- The Cosmopolitan at 361,877,000
But the biggest user of all is far off the strip. Lake Las Vegas uses the most water in Southern Nevada. City of Henderson data shows that community used 936,253,000 gallons in 2022.
But that huge number needs a little context going back to when Lake Las Vegas was developed. All of the water delivered there flows through a single pipe, which means one meter and one bill bundling all users together.
That includes at least seven commercial customers including two golf courses, four HOA's, two resort hotels, and the lake itself.
Collectively, they cut water use by 263-million gallons from 2021-2022.
"It's just incumbent upon all of us across all sectors of water users throughout the river basin that we all take stock in ways in which we can reduce our water demands," says Mack.
We also asked Boulder City for a list of its top water users. A city attorney explained that their software doesn't track annual usage of each customer.
They also provided the following statement:
"Boulder City residents see the impacts of the drought on Lake Mead every day, and our City staff is taking measures to curb the City’s water usage, as well as incentivize conservation to residents and businesses. We were one of the first jurisdictions to adopt the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) recommended water conservation ordinance in August of 2022. The City Council unanimously adopted the Boulder City Water Conservation Plan that, among other things, now prohibits water from continuously flowing into the gutters, streets, sidewalks, etc.; imposes penalties for failure to repair leaks, irrigation systems, or supply lines; bans turf in new residential areas; and limits swimming pool size to 600 square feet. Finally, our rate structure currently charges a higher rate for users that use more than 8,000 gallons of water monthly, and we are looking to further encourage water conservation by lowering this threshold to 5,000 gallons."
"We have also instituted a rebate program for Boulder City water customers who purchase a programmable irrigation system. This rebate, for up to $75, is in addition to the SNWA rebate for these systems. The City shares this information with residents in a variety of ways, including in Utility Bill inserts, on social media platforms, the City website and more."
"Additionally, the City is leading by example by taking the following water conservation measures: (1) City Council approved the removal of 721,000 sq. feet of grass at the golf course; (2) non-functional grass is being removed in City parks; (3) where we have existing plants and grass on City property, staff is replacing them with drought-resistant plants pursuant to SNWA recommendations; and (4) we have allocated $4 million in ARPA funds to update our irrigation systems."
The full list of top commercial water users can be found here:
Top Commercial Water Users Southern Nevada by Ramsey Pfeffinger on Scribd
