Las Vegas Drought Forces New Rules On Pools
The drought in Las Vegas isn’t something new, but Lake Mead is reaching new lows at an alarming rate. So alarming, in fact, that there now has to be a cap on how large a swimming pool can be in the homes of Las Vegas residents. Clark County officials voted this week to limit the size of pools to 600 square feet of surface area. To put that into perspective, that is about one and a half times the size of a standard garage. So it’s not like we’re being forced into tiny above ground pools. At least not yet. But who knows what’s going to happen in the years to come if the reservoir keeps dropping. In fact, that’s the scary part.
ABC News reported yesterday, via Ken Ritter of the Associated Press, this comment from Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson “If the trends continue and the lake continues to decline, then this may be one of the least of the tough decisions that we’ll be making over the course of time.” That’s a scary thought. What else might be restricted in Las Vegas if the drought worsens? It’s hard to imagine. For now, existing pools won’t be affected but the consequence for building a new pool larger than 600 square feet after September 1 of this year will be severe. The violator will be denied water service. So not even the super wealthy in Las Vegas can get around the limitations with a simple fine payoff.
The Lake Mead reservoir provides irrigation for millions of acres. It services Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Wyoming, Utah and even Mexico. The region draws 91 gallons of water every year from Lake Mead. And authorities say the new pool restrictions will save 32 million gallons per year by 2032 (ABC News). Still a small percentage of what is consumed, but it’s a start.
–Wendy Rush, 96.3KKLZ Las Vegas
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