It symbolizes debauchery, lust and excess in the middle of the desert. But beneath the facade of a haven of fun, Las Vegas holds its own as a surprising model for water conservation in the United States.
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For 20 years, the city has adapted to the drought hitting the American West and has managed to reduce its annual consumption from the Colorado River by nearly a third. And this despite the fact that the number of inhabitants has increased by half during this time.
Water police, banning certain lawns from being watered, limiting the size of swimming pools: the state of Nevada — where Las Vegas is located — has implemented several measures to police its faucet because it can’t use just 2% of the flow of that descending river.
A rigor that is far from the image that Vegas cultivates with its casinos and its oversized hotels, which attract 40 million tourists every year in addition to the 2.3 million inhabitants.
“Las Vegas has been very successful in selling a facade of excess and decadence,” says AFP Bronson Mack, spokesman for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the local agency responsible for managing the precious liquid. “But the reality is that our community is extremely water efficient. »
Photo VALERIE MACON / AFP
The Las Vegas River emptying into Lake Mead. In the background you can see the buildings of the Strip.
While tense negotiations are being held in the western United States to reduce water consumption, Las Vegas is considered a “rock star in terms of water conservation” and “a role model for American cities,” says researcher Brian Richter.
A status achieved thanks to a proactive turnaround in the early 2000s when Nevada exceeded its water allotment from the Colorado River.
“Water Cops”
On the “Strip,” the vast boulevard dotted with casinos, the Bellagio’s fountains and Venetian’s canals use undrinkable water from private wells.
And in neighborhoods, early morning “water patrols” roam the streets looking for sprinkler systems that are watering unplanned areas or leaking pipes.
Officials systematically film every violation: first-time offenders walk away with a warning flag in front of their house.
“You have two weeks to rectify the breach,” Constable Cameron Donnarumma said. But according to him, “most customers fix the problem before a fine is imposed.”
However, no leniency for repeat offenders who receive a complaint.
Some homeowners are “a bit frustrated” when they find “water cops” on their lawns before dawn, Mr Donnarumma admits. But most of them remain cooperative.
Photo VALERIE MACON / AFP
Cameron Donnarumma, a Marine Police officer.
The agent works from residents’ reports, who are asked to denounce the wasters upon request. There are between 20 and 50 interventions every day.
Las Vegas will ban watering the lawns of large private homes in 2027. However, the pavilions with only one family can still water theirs with certain restrictions.
The city is also offering $3 for every square foot of grass removed and replaced with economical alternatives such as drip irrigation plants.
An incentive program copied by other cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix, but difficult for smaller cities with lower budgets to implement.
political fight
Restrictions are anything but popular.
Tedi Vilardo soon wants to “break the rules” that limit watering of his lawn to 12 minutes after the exceptionally rainy winter that has ravaged the region. This housewife refuses to install artificial grass that will ‘burn’ her two children’s feet.
For his part, Kevin Kraft is annoyed by new regulations that limit the surface area of individual swimming pools to 56m2. This pond builder denounces a “political” decision that was made “under pressure” from the federal government.
Despite his frustration, he praises Las Vegas’ water conservation efforts. “Other states like California are way off the mark. There is no photo,” he believes.
Photo VALERIE MACON / AFP
Local authorities hope these efforts will pay off. Because after two decades of drought, exacerbated by global warming, the Colorado River, which feeds 40 million people in the American West, has plummeted.
The seven dependent states are currently arguing over how to cut up to a quarter of their consumption, and Washington must mediate.
In this tense context, Las Vegas “should be congratulated for the amount of water (…) that has already been saved over the last 20 years,” continues Mr. Mack of the management agency. According to him, “the others are just beginning to make an effort. »