LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One day a week. Nov. 1 takes on added importance this year with the ongoing drought on Lake Mead.
Winter watering restrictions are now in effect through Feb. 28, meaning that landscape watering is allowed one day a week.
RELATED: Southern Nevadans allowed to water once per week under winter watering schedule
Las Vegas area residents all have assigned watering days based on their addresses.
“Increasing our compliance will save us in excess of the amount of water that we are losing in the shortage declaration,” said Corey Enus, the senior public information coordinator with the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Water waste investigators will be ticketing people for improper watering, starting with $80. And it doubles each time from there.
“The goal isn’t necessarily to punish people,” he said. “The goal is to educate people. A lot of people may not have any idea of what’s going on on their property. They may not have any idea that it’s gone from three days of the week to one day of the week.”
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60% of our water use is outdoors. And couple that with the longest sustained drought in the history of the Colorado River, and the look of housing had to change—with grass becoming less common in the desert. So, once we change how we live, other areas will follow suit.
“Really it’s all something that we have the ability to do and, actually, an obligation to do for the betterment of our community and continue to be one of the most vibrant cities in the world,” said Enus.
READ STORIES RELATED TO DROUGHT CRISIS
Since 2002, Southern Nevada has used about 23 billion gallons less with the addition of 800,000 new residents.
This means that our recent population growth and water footprint do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.
