b'The Good NewsWater has always been an issue in the West, and over the past century,hundredsofbillionsofdollarshavebeenspenton infrastructure to bring water from its source into the cities.Althoughthewatershortagedeclarationsoundsscary,there isgoodnews:Aggressiveconservationandwaterrecycling efforts have kept water consumption well under Nevadas river allocation. Because those in Nevada have been using less water, there likely wont be service interruptions or price increases. Scientists have been researching the area and planning for this exact scenario for years and have put together contingency plans that would kick in as the situation in Lake Mead worsens. For example, a $1.5 billion straw at the bottom of Lake Mead will deliver water to Southern Nevada no matter how shallow it gets. Thatsbeenthepatternsince2000intheAdditionally,byboostingcompliancewithoutdoorwatering Southwest. While there have been a few wet yearsschedules from 50 percent to 65 percent, Southern Nevada can sincethen,thedroughtpersists.Itwouldtakesave 5 billion gallons of water over the fall and winter.severalwetyearsinarowwithaboveaverage snowfalltobreakthedroughtcompletely,andDoing Our PartwhilethenaturalvariabilityofclimatemeansSouthernNevadaembracedandimplementedthemost such a long wet spell cannot be ruled out, climatecomprehensivewaterconservationprograminthenation. change makes it less likely. Beginningin2003,SouthernNevadansreducedpercapita water use by 48%. Here are a few things residents do to conserve Thedroughthaspersistedforsolonginthewater: Southwest that some scientists say a megadrought1 Follow your mandatory watering schedule, either change is emerging in the region, perhaps worse than anything over the last 1,200 years and could lastyour own irrigation clock each season to comply or make for 40 years. sure your landscaper does.2 Personal vehicles may be washed at home using a hose withapositiveshut-offnozzle.However,theWater District recommends use of a commercial drive-through or self-serve car wash where water is captured to the sanitary sewer, allowing for recycling.3 Replacepurelydecorativegrasswithdesert-friendly landscaping, or artificial turf.4 Fix sprinklers or anything else thats causing water to flow or spray off your property.5 Make sure water isnt leaking inside your home or in your yard.6 Take advantage of financial incentives to update your old watering clock, and purchase a smart water leak detector.7 Report water waste around town when you spot it.With no end to the drought in sight, achieving further reductions remains an ongoing urgency. 31'