LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Las Vegas Valley residents could save a significant amount of water by turning off their irrigation systems for a week as the region e-xpects rain.
Most people in the valley water one day a week on the winter watering schedule. Turning off the water for the next week could result in substantial water savings.
“If we can get every resident and every business to turn off their irrigation systems, let Mother Nature do that watering of your landscape for you, we’re going to easily save upwards of 90 to 100 million gallons of water,” said Bronson Mack of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Water savings comparison
One hundred million gallons of water is equivalent to filling about 2.5 million bathtubs with water. It could also fill a swimming pool that stretches from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign to Sahara, nearly five miles long, 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep.
If rain continues, keeping irrigation systems off longer would increase savings, including on water bills.
“Keep in mind that right now, Southern Nevada is already on track to have one of its lowest water use years since the mid-1990s,” Mack said. “Everybody contributing to conservation, from businesses to residents to the resorts, everybody doing their part. It’s really making a difference.”
The potential 90 to 100 million gallons would be water that would remain in the Colorado River, the main drinking water source for the region. Mack said with the rain and cooler temperatures, plants and trees will not dry out if irrigation is left off for a week.
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
