Water In Southern Nevada

Water service for the city of Las Vegas is managed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD). The LVVWD works closely with the city in planning water infrastructure and water resources. Both the city of Las Vegas (CLV) and the LVVWD are members of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). The SNWA is the wholesale water provider to all municipal water agencies in southern Nevada. In addition to its wholesale treatment and delivery responsibilities, the SNWA acquires and manages long-term water resources for southern Nevada.

Approximately 60 percent of the water delivered to customers is used consumptively, meaning it can be used just once and is evaporated to the atmosphere. Urban landscape irrigation is the single largest consumptive use of water. All indoor water use is reclaimed to be either returned to the Colorado River or delivered to other urban uses, such as irrigation or cooling. In addition to water reclaimed for return to the Colorado River, the SNWA’s member agencies reclaimed more than 25,000 acre feet of water that was reused within the community.

Southern Nevadans used 265 gallons of water per capita, per day in 2006 according to the SNWA, which is weather adjusted gallons per capita per day.