[skennedy]

As a current resident of Las Vegas, it is interesting to see articles like this written. We recycle 94% of the water that makes it to a drain[1]. In addition, recycled water accounts for 40% of our overall water usage[2].

However, I just broke a 3 year lease after 2 years because of both an in ground pool and very green lawn. Both contributing to a $300+/month water bill 5 months a year. The landlord could not get the HOA to approve landscape changes and the pool evaporated a thousand gallons a month. It is great there are laws for new houses, but there is still a challenge to change for homes built 20 years ago. Add in the electric bill for non-stop air conditioning in the summer months ...

No income tax in Nevada only goes so far. It will be interesting to see how much longer we can sustain our growing 2 million person population[3].

[1] http://www.snwa.com/ws/reclaimed.html [2] http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/10/even-your-ev... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas

[bkeroack]

At least in California there are new state laws prohibiting HOAs and municipal governments from fining or otherwise preventing homeowners from conserving water. Sounds like Nevada needs to do the same.

[vogt]

HOAs are a vicious racket everywhere, but especially so here in Las Vegas. It's a real problem.

[jsprogrammer]

"the pool evaporated a thousand gallons a month"

That's because the pool is not covered. Cover the pool and evaporation will be minimized.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/100-raw-Bayer-polycarb...

[InvisibleCities]

Sure, but what fun is a pool you can't do a cannonball into?

[stephen_g]

In my city (in Australia) all pools are required to have a cover, and moost have roll-up ones that float on the surface. They're only a couple of hundred dollars but save heaps of water, and unlike the one above you can just reel it in and do a cannonball!

[jsprogrammer]

Sure, open it when in use (or get a larger structure). Leave it closed the rest of the time.

[ido]

How common are roof-top solar panels over there? Seems to me like you'd have the optimal climate for solar (in germany you see solar panels on the roofs of detached houses all the time).

[pkulak]

The problem is that when you're renting, your landlord has zero incentive to install panels on the house. You're the one paying the electric bill, after all.

If you own, however, you'd be crazy to have a south-or-west-facing roof in Las Vegas and not throw some panels on there.

[toyg]

As a tourist, I remember seeing quite a bit of panels, also on road signs and bus stops, on my first trip in 2006 and again last year.

[gregr401]

Also live in Vegas and haven't heard of water bills that high! How frequent were you watering your yard? My total bill with in-ground pool never exceeds $30 / mo.

The HOA thing doesn't surprise me, but would be curious what area / specific HOA.

[garduque]

Your water bill seems high. You sure your pool and/or irrigation aren't just dumping into the ground? That's pretty common out here, things age quickly.

[thrownaway2424]

Count yourself lucky. In Alameda County I pay over $200 per month while using almost no water, and as for electricity I pay typically over $200 again, because I have to subsidize the people in Bakersfield who run their air conditioners all day long (and in fact the PUC has voted this year to raise my bill and lower theirs so that I subsidize their lifestyle choices even more). It sound like you're getting a really good deal in comparison.

[lern_too_spel]

Bullshit. The meter charge for a house in the ACWD is $20.77 / month, and the rate per hundred cubic feet (748 gallons) of water usage is $3.373. I use about 70 gallons per day, so please explain how you pay over $200 / month "while using almost no water."

[rbritton]

Here (Spokane county, Washington state), certain towns use the water bill as a tax. I don't know GP's exact situation, but that's a possibility. A water bill in the city of Spokane, WA is often around $150/mo in the summer where outside the city it's around that much per year.

[lern_too_spel]

In California, where GGP lives, Proposition 218 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_218_(19...) requires voter approval for taxes on water, which effectively means that taxes on water don't exist, and Californians pay less for water than pretty much everybody else in the country.