C ONSERVATION L OVES A C RISIS : L ESSONS L EARNED IN N ORTH A MERICA ’ S D RIEST C ITY Doug Bennett Conservation Manager Southern Nevada Water Authority

8 Lessons Lesson 1: Don’t Fight With Giants Lesson 2: Stop Chasing Your Tail Lesson 3: Things may not be what they seem Lesson 4: You’re not the Alpha dog Lesson 5: Know Your Sh..tuff Lesson 6: The Game Keeps Changing Lesson 7: Don’t Burn the Haystack Lesson 8: Find Common Ground

Don’t Fight With GIANTS LESSON 1

Partnerships Increase adoption, strengthen credibility and build community ethic: – Home Builders – Landscape contractors – Car Washes – Restaurants – Hotels – Swimming Pool Industry

Water Smart Home Program Voluntary program certifies new homes and neighborhoods as Water Smart. Requires high efficiency plumbing fixtures, appliances, landscape and irrigation. More than 10,000 built. Largest program of its kind in the United States.

Stop Chasing Your TAIL LESSON 2

Water Smart Landscapes – 169 million square feet – $190 million rebated – 59 billion gallons saved Before After $1.50 for each square foot of lawn converted to water- efficient landscape.

For Every Home Converted between 1999 and 2003… Twenty-eight New Homes were built. Most of those with front lawns.

Lawns prohibited in new residential front yards and limited to 50 percent in new backyards. No Lawn grass in Commercial Development Clark County Operations Building 2003 Landscape Development Codes

Things May NOT Be What They Seem LESSON 3

Water used indoors is recovered for direct or indirect reuse. Indoor vs. Outdoor Water Use TREAT 10% groundwater 90% Surface water

Water Reuse Comprises 40 Percent of Las Vegas’ Supply

Caesar’s Palace Street View

Caesar’s Palace Aerial Southern Nevada’s resorts account for less than 3 percent of consumptive water use.

Consumptive (outdoor) 25% Non-consumptive (indoor) 75% Mega-Resort Water Use Mega-Resort Facts About 3,000 rooms Average 110 acre parcel < 2% pools & fountains < 4% landscaping ~94% buildings & surfaces Evaporation from cooling systems exceeds the combined use of landscape, water features and pools.

NEW HOMES USE LESS WATER, RIGHT? EPA New Homes Water Efficiency Study Pre/post January 1, 2001 construction dates

NEW HOMES USE LESS WATER, RIGHT? EPA New Homes Water Efficiency Study

Monthly Consumption Standing Homes Built

Monthly Consumption v

Monthly Consumption Post 2003 Homes Comparison

Monthly Consumption Water Smart Homes Comparison

Growth is Not Always Sprawl Major Western MSA’s over 1 Million Population Population-weighted density from 2010 U.S. Census Metropolitan Statistical Area Distance Profiles

You‘re not the ALPHA Dog LESSON 4

Your issues may take a backseat… Politics & Public Opinion Utility Solvency Infrastructure needs Water Quality & Other Regulation Watershed recovery (“Hey, it rained”) …and, by the way, overachievers are not always appreciated.

Know Your SH..TUFF LESSON 5

It’s Not Enough to be a Toilet Expert… Organizational Revenue Sources Water Supply Sources State and Federal Policies Related Political Issues History Regional & National Trends Economic climate

Expand your Realm… Strengthen Internal and Peer Relationships Read everything your organization produces, especially financial reports. Invite guest speakers to your meeting Use Google Alerts

The GAME Keeps Changing LESSON 6

Drought & Climate Change

Indoor Agriculture Tomatoes: High Value Crop Dude, Totally High Value Crop

Green Infrastructure

Shower Tower of Power The $5,000 Kohler WaterHaven features seven heads “The ultimate in performance showering” Promises “a different shower experience every day”

Horizontal Shower Too tired to stand? Shower laying down beneath six remote- controlled heads.

Flotation Pod Not wet enough?

Water Piston Hose Reel 4-6 Gallons of water used to rewind your hose.

Water-powered sump pump 2 gallons of floodwater 1 gallon municipal water

Don’t Burn the HAYSTACK LESSON 7

Water Use per Acre Before Water Budgeting Golf Course Water Budgets Highest Users Lowest Users

Golf Course Water Budgets 10% sector use reduction in one year Water Use per Acre After Water Budgeting

Aerial Vegetation Assessment

Find COMMON Ground LESSON 8

Inter-Agency Collaboration Urban habitat doesn’t respect lines on a map Promotes Equity – Economic, social, political Efficient messaging; avoids confusion Builds regional ethic Unified approach produces better results, even if you have to compromise

Five jurisdictions - identical watering restrictions. Collaboration: Watering Restrictions

T HANK Y OU. Doug Bennett Conservation Manager Southern Nevada Water Authority

Familiarize yourself with your new assignmentFamiliarize yourself with your new assignment 1 Explore your new environmentExplore your new environment 2 Meet your new colleaguesMeet your new colleagues 3 Today’s Overview

Learning Objectives Technology Procedure Policies Benefits

New Work The technology learning curve

Who’s Who LeadContact information

Time Spent Projects Worked On Get Familiar Achieve Mastery Working Toward Mastery Get Experienced

Doing Your Best Work Working from home Working offsite Technology requirements

Case Study Jeremy – His first day – Mistakes made – Successes achieved – The moral of the story

Discussion What we can learn from Jeremy Best practices Take-aways

Summary Define your challenges – Technological as well as personal Set realistic expectation – Mastery is not achieved overnight Keep your eye on the goal – Mentorship programs

Resources This slide deck and related resources:

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