Reclaimed Water Resources

Southern Nevada currently reclaims all of its wastewater, either through return-flow credits or direct reuse.

Reclaimed Colorado River Water

Reclaimed Colorado River water may have advantages in terms of environmental sustainability and lower cost, but additional reuse does not extend Southern Nevada's Colorado River allocation. The total resource "pie" does not change when more wastewater is used to meet a reuse demand rather than returned to Lake Mead for return-flow credits. (View Pie Chart) As wastewater reuse increases, the area's return-flow credits will decrease.

Full Consumptive Use/Recycled In-State Groundwater Resources

Through return-flow credits and water reuse, the consumptive-use volumes yield an available waer supply approximately 70 percent greater than the consumptive-use volume. Development of in-state groundwater resources will create additional wastewater that, if treated and reused, has the potential to increase their yield. SNWA will reclaim in-state groundwater through direct reuse or accounting for these imports as consumptive use prior to reaching Lake Mead.

Valley-wide Reuse Plans

A study conducted in 2000 identified additional satellite reuse facilities in North Las Vegas, City of Las Vegas and southwest Clark County near Henderson. SNWA's member agencies are evaluating these opportunities to determine which projects might be the next most likely projects for development.

A siting feasibility study in the southwest area of Clark County was jointly explored by Henderson, the Clark County Water Reclamation District (CCWRD) and the Las Vegas Valley Water District. This study, also completed in 2000, identified several locations for possible future satellite facilities in the valley, which are being considered independently by the CCWRD. In response to the study, the City of Henderson is building its Southwest Water Reclamation Facility.