LAS VEGAS, May 2, 2005 (PRNewswire) -- The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association unveiled the first "Water Smart Home." KB Home Nevada built the home as the first builder in the Water Smart Home program. This program certifies new homes and neighborhoods as water-smart, ensuring that homeowners are purchasing a home that can save as much as 75,000 gallons of water per year.
Homebuilders participating in the Water Smart Home program may select from among three designations which include Water Smart Home (a single-family home constructed by the builder that meets SNWA standards), Water Smart Neighborhood (a multi-home development of single-family homes and common area landscapes and structures that meet SNWA standards) and Water Smart Builder (all single-family homes and common areas the builder constructs in Southern Nevada will meet or exceed Water Smart Home standards). KB Home has selected the designation of Water Smart Builder, the highest level of participation. KB Home expects to build 2,500 water-smart homes this year.
"The Water Smart Home program shows that water-efficiency doesn't mean doing without. It means doing more with less," said SNWA General Manager Pat Mulroy. "We're thrilled that KB Home made this kind of commitment to the community. We've worked for nearly two years with the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association to create a program that offers all of the comforts of a new home, but uses far less water than a home built ten years ago."
Outdoors, the homes feature water-smart landscaping in the front yard and have standards for builder-installed backyard landscaping. Indoors, the homes include high-efficiency dishwashers, faucets, and showerheads. Optional features and appliances such as washing machines will also be water-efficient. The standards will help to reduce water use without altering homeowners' quality of life.
"For years, KB Home Nevada has offered water-smart features in our homes," said Don Delgiorno, KB Home Nevada executive vice president. "The Water Smart Home program takes that commitment one step further. Every neighborhood KB Home builds in Southern Nevada will be water-smart."
That promise is echoed by the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, which helped develop the Water Smart Home program. "The Water Smart Home program is one more way home builders are helping to enhance the quality of life in Southern Nevada," said Irene Porter, SNHBA executive director. "With efficiencies both indoors and out, we're helping new homeowners to make a difference in the community one home at a time."
The Southern Nevada Water Authority (www.snwa.com) is a regional agency that manages water quality, water conservation and water resources. Member agencies are: Big Bend Water District (Laughlin), the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City, the Clark County Water Reclamation District and the Las Vegas Valley Water District.
Building homes for nearly half a century, KB Home (www.kbhome.com) is one of America's premier homebuilders with domestic operating divisions in some of the fastest-growing regions and states in the United States. Kaufman & Broad S.A., the company's publicly-traded subsidiary, also is one of the largest homebuilders in France. In fiscal 2004, KB Home delivered homes to 31,646 families in both nations. It also operates a full-service mortgage company for the convenience of its buyers. Founded in 1957, and winner of the 2004 American Business Award for Best Overall Company, it's a Fortune 500 company.
The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association (www.snhba.com) is the oldest and largest local trade organization representing the residential construction industry with some 750 members working in all facets of the homebuilding industry. SNHBA members build 90 percent of the new housing constructed annually in Southern Nevada.
###