Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images.
Above, Las Vegas Valley Water District Water Waste Investigator Devyn Choltko puts a water waste violation into the computer system outside a home in north Las Vegas, Nevada.
When water is seen running into the gutter from a lawn in a desert city, Water Waste Investigator 9393 steps in. The good news is, water conservation efforts like those in Las Vegas are paying off.
Yvette Fernandez reports at National Public Radio by way of the Mountain West News Bureau, an NPR regional hub, in collaboration with Nevada Public Radio in Las Vegas.
“About two dozen investigators patrol neighborhoods throughout Las Vegas every day searching for signs of wasted water. They’re known as water waste investigators who are part of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. For more than 20 years, they have been helping conserve water in the growing desert city.
“Devyn Choltko is one of the investigators with the Las Vegas Valley Water District, which is part of SNWA. … On an early July morning, she stops her patrol car in a neighborhood where water flows onto the street.
” ‘Water Waste Investigator 9393,’ Choltko reports into her cell phone to record the incident. ‘Some misaligned sprinklers as well as over-irrigation causing some run-off,’ she continues. …
“Choltko says ‘spray and flow’ violations are among the most common problems. This is when water from a sprinkler head sprays out onto the sidewalk or street, and that’s considered wasted water.
“Choltko marks a yellow flag with the date, time and alleged violation, then places the marker on the property to notify the resident. The investigators can only leave the yellow flag if they have actually witnessed the violation.
” ‘Most people don’t even know they have a problem,’ Choltko says. …
“Residents get a few notices to take corrective action. If they are ‘repeat’ violators, a fine ‘is recommended,’ says Choltko. They face a fee of $80 initially, which can continue to double if ignored.
“Choltko says some homeowners may have issues they aren’t aware of. A homeowner, for example, may have taken proactive steps to conserve water by removing their grass and switching to desert landscaping. Succulents and drought-resistant plants should be watered using drip irrigation to get water directly to the roots and reduce evaporation. But faulty or worn-out tubes can result in water spewing onto sidewalks. …
“For low-income homeowners who cannot afford repairs, the SNWA can provide financial assistance to make necessary repairs. It will also provide help in detecting leaks.
“More than twenty years ago, drought gripped the Colorado River Basin. … By 2003, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, a not-for-profit water provider with a half dozen water collaborative agencies in southern Nevada, responded with several water conservation efforts, which included starting the water patrol. …
“Says Bronson Mack, a spokesperson with the SNWA, the goal [is] to educate people about the importance of water conservation and encourage people to change their behavior. That change can be as small as people taking shorter showers or reusing water for plants or cleaning.
” ‘We collected in the neighborhood of about $1-$1.5 million over the recent years in water waste violations,’ says Mack. The Las Vegas Valley Water District uses those dollars to support conservation programs, such as incentives to remove turf and rebates to install smart irrigation systems. …
“Just east of Las Vegas, receding ‘bathtub rings’ are etched into one of the country’s largest reservoirs, Lake Mead — a reminder of how much water there once was. The reservoir provides water to Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County. Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at less than 35% normal capacity.
“The Southern Nevada Water Authority … has a significant effort to recycle water that’s already been used by treating it and putting it back into use. According to SNWA, it returned more than 245,000 acre-feet of water to Lake Mead in 2024. …
“The population of Las Vegas has grown by over 800,000 people since 2002. And, the city has seen over 40 million visitors during that time. Despite that growth, ‘we have reduced our consumption of Colorado River water by more than 30% over the past two decades,’ Mack says. …
“Low levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell are expected to continue, according to the latest data released by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Department of the Interior’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Scott Cameron, said in a news release: ‘forward-thinking solutions’ that prioritize conservation will be increasingly important.”
More at NPR, here.
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