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Commercial and government
facilities make water-saving changes
Water conservation is everyone's responsibility,
including businesses. Several local businesses and government agencies
are responding to the drought and making a difference through their water-saving
measures.
Synthetic turf installed
at park
New synthetic turf offers large parks and athletic fields an alternative
to water-guzzling grass. Clark County recently replaced a half-acre of
grass at the Desert Breeze Park baseball field with synthetic turf. Early
estimates from Clark County officials indicate the artificial turf will
pay for itself in water savings, longevity and lower maintenance costs.
Airport saves nearly
94 million gallons
Since 1991, McCarran International Airport has replaced 26 acres of
grass with xeriscape. The airport also has spent the last decade upgrading
restrooms with low-flow fixtures and renovating air conditioning facilities.
McCarran's conservation efforts inside and out have resulted in water savings
of nearly 94 million gallons.
"We went from 19 million passengers a year to 37 million
passengers a year, a significant increase. Yet, we use no more water today
than we did in 1991," said Director of Aviation Randall H. Walker.
Greystone office complex
removes 10,000 square feet of turf
The Greystone office complex is removing 10,000 square feet of grass
and replacing it with Water Smart Landscaping. SNWA leases office space
from the complex and expects the landscape conversion to save more than
half a million gallons of water a year.
Golf courses adopt conservation measures
As the worst drought on record continues in Southern Nevada, water conservation
efforts are increasingly important to the valley. The recently passed Drought
Plan includes conservation measures not only for residents and casinos,
but also for golf courses.
Golf courses make up 8 percent of the valley's total
water consumption. Some courses are responding to the drought through proactive
measures such as converting some grassy areas to Water Smart Landscaping
or by improving irrigation systems.
The Rio Secco Golf Course just converted 26,000 square
feet of grass and plans to convert another 90,000 square feet. Replacing
grass with flowers and plants maintains the beauty of the course and saves
water.
The Black Mountain Golf and Country Club will use
a computerized control mechanism for deficit irrigation. The club can under-irrigate
specific areas of the course without killing off the grass on the greens.
Information Source: Southern
Nevada Water Authority
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