LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Grand Prix kicks off in just a few short weeks, and as anticipation builds, Channel 13 has been reporting on the far-ranging impacts.
From road closures to busy airports, it’s the second year for this resource-intensive event here in Las Vegas. But we're learning not all resources are being stressed.
In terms of water use for F1, approximately 30,000 gallons were used during the inaugural year to keep the track clean, but Lake Mead is not the source.
“Formula 1 Grand Prix really wanted to take a unique approach to its event footprint, and sustainability was one of the areas we really looked at," said Lori Nelson-Kraft, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
The water used for F1 is accounted for via a machine called an Atmospheric Water Generator. It grabs water vapor from an MGM Grand evaporative cooling "wet tower" and recycles it - a resource that would otherwise be lost to the air above.
The unit cost $400,000 to build last year and was made possible by a partnership between the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Formula 1, MGM Resorts, and a local nonprofit called Waterstart.
It's a brand new hybrid of technologies that exists nowhere else on the planet, according to the team behind it.
“It produced almost seven times as much as we needed," Nelson-Kraft said.
In fact, the generator has produced over 200,000 gallons of water since it went operational this time last year.
Around a thousand evaporative cooling systems are used in the valley to keep casinos and other big buildings cool in our hot city.
“We have a lot of air conditioning and part of that system are cooling towers that are a part of the system that rejects the heat to the atmosphere," said Michael Gulich, MGM Resorts Vice President of Environmental Sustainability. "We’re excited to be playing a role in this. We believe a greener business is a better business. It’s better for the planet and it’s better for the bottom line.”
According to SNWA, commercial cooling is the second-largest water consumption source in Southern Nevada.
When asked about expanding this kind of technology to other casinos, SNWA's spokesperson Bronson Mack told Channel 13 that the generator is a pilot project for now.
“The solutions are at our fingertips. We just need the will to be able to implement them and doing so will provide for a more sustainable future.”
Watch a more in-depth conversation with Bronson Mack about the possibilities of the Atmospheric Water Generator
