AWWA JAW62632

The Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada receives only an average of 4.5 inches of annual precipitation, has a yearly evapotranspirational water requirement of nearly 90 inches, and is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. Like most desert cities in the southwestern United States, typically 60-90% of all water use by single-family residences is for landscape irrigation. The Southern Nevada Water Authority partnered with the US Bureau of Reclamation to fund a five-year study of the economic and conservation effects of converting turf landscapes to low-water-use Xeriscape™. Results indicated that conversion to xeric landscape produced significant water savings of 55.8 gal/sq ft annually. Homes that converted from turf grass to Xeriscape realized a 30% decrease in yearly total household water use, which equates to 96,000 gal annually. Xeriscape also provided savings in labor and money. Compared with owners of properties dominated by turf, the study group with xeric landscapes reported average annual reductions of 26.4 hours in labor and $206 in direct maintenance expenditures. Utilities may find it worth while to develop or strengthen incentive programs to foster conversion to Xeriscape among their residential and commercial customers. Includes 10 references, tables, figures.