From Wendy Zarganis,
Your Guide to Las Vegas.
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According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNVA), residential water customers use 59 percent of Southern Nevada's drinking water and 20 to 30 percent of that water consumption is lost to leaks or water waste. Nearly all our drinking water comes from the Colorado River, and we split it with Arizona and California. Since we're in the midst of one of the worst droughts ever, it's a smart idea to find ways to save water.

Interestingly, all indoor water in southern Nevada is recycled back into Lake Mead. That means taking shorter showers or foregoing frequent use of the dishwasher isn't going to add up to much savings. It's the non-consumptive use of water that gets us into trouble here. "The place to save is outdoors," says Kristen Howey, Public Affairs Coordinator at the SNVA. "People forget we live in a desert," Howey continues, "One landscaper I worked with calls it 'desert denial'. People come to Las Vegas and want it to look like Seattle. It's not, but there are ways to make it beautiful."

And a beautifully landscaped home doesn't mean overusing water. Here are some tips from the SNVA to help you keep your water usage in check:

• Replace Your Lawn
  SNWA offers property owners $2 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with a water-efficient landscape for the first 1,500 square feet through their Water Smart Landscapes rebate program. The rebate for the conversion of grass in excess of 1,500 square feet is $1 per square foot. Your new, water-smart landscape can still be lush and attractive with these helpful landscaping tips.
• Cover Your Pool
  Evaporation from your pool is a big water-waster. Get coupons for water-saving products and pool covers. SNWA has teamed with local retailers to provide coupons toward the purchase of a removable or permanent pool cover and other items to keep evaporation from becoming a problem.
• Car Wash Coupons
  The SNVA offers you coupons for using local car washes that recycle their water.
• Become a Water Smart Home
  The Water Smart Home program certifies qualifying new homes and neighborhoods as Water Smart. New, water-smart homes can save as much as 75,000 gallons of water per year.

Water Waste Fines
Water waste fines can be assesed for any of the following situations:

• Any water that sprays or flows off your property
• Watering outside of assigned watering day.
  Find out what day is your watering day from November through February.
• Failure to comply with drought restrictions
• Using sprinklers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May 1st through Sept. 30th
• Failure to repair a malfunction in your irrigation system or supply line within 48 hours
• Failure to discharge swimming-pool or spa drainage into a public sanitary sewer, if available.

See these interesting water facts from the SNVA.

Water conservation is a necessary part of desert living, but it doesn't have to be a drag. For more information on how to make your home water-wise, visit the SNVA Web site. It's great resource to help you learn about water consersvation. You can also call the Conservation Helpline at (702) 258-SAVE (7283).