Conservation News
Water officials aim to bolster conservation - Fourth year of drought, failure to meet goals prompt consideration of fines, higher rates
By Juliet V. Casey, [email protected]
Southern Nevada water authorities said Tuesday residents cannot afford to be complacent about conservation.
Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said the area is moving into its fourth year of drought, and last year failed to meet conservation goals. If the trend continues, she said, the authority might consider raising water rates or fining people caught wasting water.
Mulroy said the authority has cited people for wasting water after they have received several warnings. She said those cited appear in Las Vegas Municipal Court or Clark County District Court, where judges have been reluctant to order water wasters to pay fines.
"This last year, we didn't meet our goal," Mulroy said. "People didn't see rates increase, so they got complacent about water use, and now they need a reminder."
The water authority, which manages the region's water conservation, water quality and resources for Southern Nevada, announced its 2001 conservation results. The authority last year set a goal to reduce water use across the valley by 19.5 percent. But authority conservation managers said area residents managed to reduce their use by 13.5 percent, about 10.4 billion gallons short of the goal.
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