Last Drop: Nevada Governor Signs Bill To Limit Home Water Use

The water worries in Nevada aren't just at Lake Mead. Decades of drought and water deficits has all of Southern Nevada very aware of the issues on the Colorado River. Now, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has signed a bill into law that could potentially limit residential water use. Assembly Bill 220 gives the Southern Nevada Water Authority the power to limit yearly home water usage to half an acre foot, or a little more than 160,000 gallons. While the bill doesn't put this limitation on Southern Nevadans today, it does give the SNWA the option should the crisis reach to an even more dire level. 163,000 gallons?! What does the average Nevada home use for water yearly? 163,000 gallons might be tough to visualize. To put it in some perspective, the average home in Southern Nevada uses around 130,000 gallons a year. That's great right? So no one will have their water cut! Well... that's the average. 20 percent of Southern Nevada Water District residential water users use more than that amount. Some, way more than that amount. Who are the biggest water users? The biggest water wasters in Southern Nevada in 2021 (the most recent data) also line up with a veritable who's who of Las Vegas power players. At the top of the list, the Fertitta Family Trust. The family behind Station Casinos had water usage of nearly 5,050,000 gallons a year. That's likely a lot of lush lawns more than it is taking long showers. Raymond Park comes in at number 2 with a palatial Spanish Trails mansion with 5,021,000 gallons a year. TI and Circus Circus owner Phil Ruffin is in third with 5,011,000 gallons a year. If you continue down the list, you'll see "Wynn," "White," and others. The top 3 alone use enough water for 116 "average" water users. If you haven't switched out your lawn for turf, it might be a wise idea to think about it. And if you live in a massive mansion... RIP. Listen to Aimee+Shawn weekday mornings from 6-10 on 102.7 VGS Follow the station on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok! Follow Aimee+Shawn on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok!