LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A group of Las Vegas neighbors ask the Las Vegas Valley Water District for relief for sky-high water bills that have soared into the thousands of dollars.
A spokesperson with the Las Vegas Valley Water District tells FOX5, if you have a monthly water bill that soars into the thousands, you’re facing charges for excessive water use.
The Eagle Hills community in Summerlin has been around for several decades, and like many old neighborhoods, there are plenty of legacy trees and large plots of grass.
“I am here on behalf of 20 of my neighbors about excessive water fees. We would like to know why our neighborhood, which I moved to for its beautiful trees and landscaping, is being told to replace it with rocks, or, we’re being targeted,” said one neighbor before the district meeting.
According to the LVVWD, some of the homes with high bills used 101,000 to 105,000 gallons per month during the height of the summer, making them among the top 1 to 6% of consumers.
According to summer water use restrictions, residents are allowed to use up to 28,000 gallons per month; excess use fees occur after that threshold.
With around 70 homes in the community, each property has numerous trees or sycamore trees; many have grass, though many others have started the conversion to desert landscaping.
The resident described her $1,384 water bill, while other neighbors see $3,000 monthly bills.
The excessive use charges send a “pricing signal” to highest water users in the Valley, according to the LVVWD; there’s a strong likelihood that a homeowner is overirrigating their landscape, spokesperson Bronson Mack tells FOX5.
The residents, like many others, have concerns over the health of their trees during a conversion from grass to desert landscaping. FOX5 has extensively covered the debate; the LVVWD and the Southern Nevada Water Authority argue that proper transition methods are critical to avoid tree damage.
“My neighbors would like me to ask you to please have plans for grandfathering in the grass under the trees or give credit for having trees that offset water usage,” the neighbor said.
A spokesperson for LVVWD said “grandfathering” would not be possible; water users across the Valley would be subsidizing their use. The top 10% of water users utilize 30% of water consumed, Mack tells FOX5.
What are homeowners’ options? Residents can eliminate their grass, or water their lawns for only the recommended 12 minutes per day, the LVVWD said. Some homeowners water their yards for hours overnight.
Other LLVWD advice to prevent excess use fees:
- Inspect your sprinklers monthly, and check for runoff into the streets
- If you experience runoff, split up the water cycles to several times a day, totaling 12 minutes a day
- Have a sudden water bill spike? Check for a leak
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