The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) recently announced, “Lake Mead will remain in federal shortage through 2026, reducing Nevada’s Colorado River allocation by 6.8 billion gallons for the third consecutive year.” It also claims that conservation efforts and incentive programs in the state, like NSWA’s Water Smart Landscapes program I have written about in past issues of WaterWorld, have led to a 55% decrease in per-capita use over the past 20 years despite an increase in population by approximately 829,000 residents.
Other incentives offered to the community are a free home water-audit and retrofit kit, free classes taught by conservation experts to learn how to conduct a home water audit, the Water Smart Plumber program that qualifies plumbers to be leak detection experts, home leak sensor rebates (50% off or $200, whichever is lower), and $250 leak detection assistance program vouchers that can be used to find or fix a leak.
They also have quite cute marketing and communications tactics that keep the public reminded and educated about conservation and what it means to understand that water is their resource and responsibility. Their YouTube ads are engaging and reinforce that the water belongs to us all, and we pay for its treatment so it is in our best interest to use it responsibly. Snappy and hilarious titles include “Let’s live in the desert, not in denial,” “It’s time to break up with your grass,” and one of my personal favorites, “Be an angel. Don’t water on Sunday.”
Through their ongoing communications and incentive programs, SNWA has managed to add another tool to the toolbox addressing water scarcity and ensuring long term sustainability for the residents and businesses served in Southern Nevada. As always, I hope the articles in this issue help elucidate complimentary tools to add to utilities’ toolboxes, and I wish everyone out there, including my fellow communications professionals, a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.
Read the November/December issue of WaterWorld online here.
