Lawmakers in Nevada are considering new rules that would give water managers the authority to cap how much water residents could use in their homes, a step that reflects the dire conditions on the Colorado River after more than two decades of drought.
The federal government could impose mandatory cuts on the states if no agreement is reached in coming months.
If the water level in Lake Mead drops another 22 feet in elevation, Nevada would be “subject to future cuts of an unknown magnitude,” Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of resources for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said during a Monday hearing on the proposed water legislation.“The stark reality of our current situation is what we are marking as the driest 23 years of the last 100 may very well be the wettest 23 years of the next 100,” Pellegrino said.
The residential limits in Nevada are just one provision in a bill intended to save water by various means. Other provisions would provide funding for the thousands of homes on septic tanks to connect to the sewer system — which filters and recycles water back into Lake Mead — as well as imposing new rules for efficient sprinklers and approved uses of grass.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nevada considers giving water agency power to limit residential use as Colorado River dries upWhile some agencies across the U.S. West tie increased water use to increased cost, Nevada could be the first to give a water agency the power to restrict what comes out of residents’ taps in state statute to about 30,000 gallons above the average use.
Read more »
Nevada lawmakers could grant water authority power to limit Las Vegas residents' water usageIf approved, the 'worst case scenario' plan would make Nevada the first state to give a water agency legal jurisdiction over the amount of residential use.
Read more »
Nevada considers allowing Las Vegas water agency to limit residential useNevada lawmakers are considering allowing Las Vegas to impose a cap on residential water use in one of the driest major metropolitan areas in the U.S.
Read more »
Las Vegas water agency seeks power to limit residential useAn omnibus bill covering water use in Las Vegas is one of the most significant before lawmakers in Nevada, one of seven states that use the Colorado River.
Read more »
Las Vegas water agency seeks power to limit residential useNevada lawmakers are set to consider a remarkable shift in allowing the water agency that manages the Colorado River supply for Las Vegas to limit residential use in the desert city. It's another potential step in a decades-long effort to ensure one of the driest metropolitan areas in the U.S. has enough water. Already, in Las Vegas ornamental lawns are banned, new swimming pools have a size limit and the water used inside homes is recycled.
Read more »