People can live without just about everything (whether they want to or not), but they can’t live without water.

This is a fact of life not lost on Nevadans living as we do in the driest state in the nation. Average rainfall is not quite seven inches per year and many parts of the state get far less.

Nevada’s water resources are limited. Yet our population is booming, particularly in the Las Vegas Valley. It's one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country. So far, so good, but if Las Vegas continues to grow at its current rate the population will nearly double by 2030.

The growth projections combined with the natural limits on water are forcing Las Vegans to face age-old questions in the West:

  • How to get more water? or,
  • How to get water to go further?


Did You Know?
  • The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), which manages water for the Las Vegas Valley, proposes to build a massive 250-plus mile pipeline system to take water from the Great Basin aquifer and pump it to Las Vegas
  • The cost of the pipeline system has never been made public; a budget is not available and no one researching the project has been able to get an accurate assessment of the true cost
  • Las Vegans use far more water per capita than residents of many other cities in the Southwest
  • Unit water rates are low in Las Vegas as compared to other cities while fixed rates are high
  • Moving water requires a tremendous amount of energy, as water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon. SNWA is the single largest consumer of electricity in Nevada
 
Action PLAN

PLAN is working with our coalition partners and other allies throughout the West to:

  • Promote policies and practices that encourage water conservation and efficiency, both indoors and outdoors
  • Encourage water rate structures that are fair and equitable and that discourage water waste
  • Oppose costly water transfer projects that threaten livelihoods and the environment in rural Nevada and Utah
  • Support thoughtful, democratic plans for urban development that are sustainable and environmentally appropriate
 
Learn More

PLAN’s report:

Where does it start? Where will it end? Las Vegas & the Groundwater Development Project

Western Resource Advocates report:

Water in the Urban Southwest: An Updated Analysis of Water Use in Albuquerque, Las Vegas Valley, and Tucson

Pacific Institute and Western Resource Advocates report:

Hidden Oasis: Water Conservation and Efficiency in Las Vegas

Video:

Residents of Rural Nevada talk about the Las Vegas Water Grab

 
Get Involved

Everyone who lives in, near or downwind of the Great Basin has a stake in what happens with this vast, beautiful and all-too-often ignored part of the United States. And every- one can play a role in limiting or stopping the environmental damage threatened by Las Vegas’ demand for groundwater to fuel urban growth.

In Clark County and Las Vegas, let your County Commissioners know that you oppose the "water grab."

You can call them at (702) 455-3500, write them at:

500 S. Grand Central Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89155

Federal and state elected officials in and from Nevada have a role to play as well. One of the best ways to get involved and stay involved is to sign up for information from PLAN and its allies on water and environmental issues.

To sign up:

Email PLAN Communications Director Launce Rake, or call him at (702) 791-1965 with your name, physical address and preferred email address, and phone number.

Launce will not only put you on the list to get frequent updates on water issues, he will tell you which of your elected representatives to contact and how best to contact them. Launce can also provide more information to pass on to or speakers to address friends, neighbors, church groups and organizations that want to learn more about this critical issue.

Other cities have greatly conserved water in part through price signals. In the fall of 2007, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the sister agency of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, began a discussion on water conservation and price for metro Las Vegas. Contact the Clark County Commission and let officials know that you support significant conservation measures, including a price structure that discourages water waste and encourages sensible use.

 

Whether you live in rural areas of Nevada or in Las Vegas, you can make a difference.

 
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