LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Every drop of water in our valley is precious and few things irk locals more than water waste.
Use too much at your home and you get fined, but what about businesses who let leaks linger, causing loss and waste on a bigger scale?
A months-long leak became a construction site within days of 13 Investigates calling the Las Vegas Valley Water District to ask what's the deal at the Dollar Tree store on Novat Street near the 215 and Cheyenne.
Viewer Julie Martinez told us water had been running from the middle of the Dollar Tree parking lot, down the street to the storm drain.
She wrote:
"I have mentioned this to the clerk inside the store who really didn't care and the neighbors around the area have called (the Water District) multiple times reporting this waste. The phone number for water waste is a waste of time because no one answers that line, so everyone calls the general customer service line to report. But nothing has been done to stop this water. With the shortage in our water supply, shouldn't someone address this?"
The short answer is — yes.
When we asked LVVWD about it, they admitted being two weeks delayed on responding to neighbors' complaints because it wasn't properly entered into their system.
Water waste investigators believe the leak surfaced in late April or early May, and was a subsurface leak for some time before that. The Water District notified Dollar Tree of the leak on May 18 and when they followed up nearly two weeks later, it was still flowing, so Dollar Tree was given a violation and a first level fine of $80 with a threat of it doubling each week the leak continued.
According to the Water District, commercial property owners are subject to the same water waste rules and investigation processes as homeowners, including letters and phone calls when investigators confirm an initial water waste violation.
Dollar Tree told 13 Investigates there were two issues at play: the leak went unnoticed for a period of time, and repair work was more extensive than anticipated.
But the leak is now fixed, and Dollar Tree emphasized that it would never be their intent to misuse valuable resources.
