Utility Services
Drought Response
Seven western states rely on the Colorado River as a water source, including Nevada. Persistent drought in the upper Colorado River region has resulted in the lowest river water flow levels since record-keeping began in 1906. The Colorado River supplies Lake Mead, the primary water storage reservoir serving the lower basin states of Nevada, Arizona and California. These historically low flows from the Colorado River, in addition to increasing demands from the states that rely on the river, have caused Lake Mead's elevation to drop by more than 100 feet in the last decade.
The City of Henderson depends almost entirely upon Lake Mead to provide water for homes and businesses. To ensure that Nevada has enough water during this prolonged drought, the Southern Nevada Water Authority developed a Drought Plan in 2002.
Drought Plan
The Southern
Nevada Water Authority developed the
Drought
Plan to identify drought response and conservation measures that would reduce
regional water
demand during times of drought. The Plan also defines four stages of
drought, and adapts the level of response to the severity of the drought
stage.
The four drought stages are: No Drought,
Drought Watch, Drought Alert and Drought Critical. Southern Nevada is
currently in Drought Alert.
The City of Henderson is a member agency of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and adopted the Drought Plan on March 4, 2003. The City integrated conservation measures from the Drought Plan into the Henderson Municipal Code Title 14.14. This code provides details for landscape watering, operating mist systems, fountains, water features, and other outdoor water use, such as washing personal vehicles and building surfaces. The code also defines water waste and establishes fees for customers not following assigned watering schedules or other provisions. Components to the drought response that encourage conservation are:
- Tiered water rate structure
- Golf course water budgeting
- Seasonal watering schedules
- Landscape development restrictions
- Revisions to water waste definitions
- Establishment of an administrative fine process for compliance issues
- Ornamental fountain restrictions
- Mist system, surface and vehicle washing restrictions
- Prohibitions of private covenants to prevent use of water efficient landscape
City of Henderson's Commitment to Conservation
Before asking our citizens to cut back on water usage, the City of Henderson looked
for ways to conserve. For example, the Fire Department uses special
hose nozzles that use less water than regular nozzles but are just
as effective in fighting fires. City facilities take advantage of
low-flow faucets and toilets. The Parks and Recreation Department
created a comprehensive Drought Response Plan that has reduced
their water use by nearly 50% since 2002. By utilizing efficient
irrigation systems and converting turf in non-recreational areas
to xeriscape, that Department is aggressively meeting the City's
goal for conservation. For
more details, view the
Drought
Response Plan or call the Parks and Recreation Department at
(702) 267-4000.