Water Smarts Podcast

When Tropical Storm Hilary hit the Mount Charleston area, the resulting flood wiped away roads, downed power lines and washed out water mains. Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) crews were on the scene within hours of the storm assessing the damage and planning repairs to the badly damaged water system in the Kyle Canyon community. LVVWD’s Aaron Gamble and Tom Burns talk about the emergency r...

As Southern Nevada enters its third year under federally-declared shortage conditions, the community is thriving and surviving despite the water cuts. Colby Pellegrino , SNWA Deputy General Manager of Resources, talks about Colorado River Basin conditions, negotiations around future water supplies, and how conservation is helping the community live under shortage conditions. Hear more on this epis...

John Entsminger , Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager, recently joined Jeff Szabo, the CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA), for a lively discussion about East Coast vs. West Coast water issues. Serving 1.2 million people in New York, SCWA is one of the largest groundwater suppliers in the nation. While the sources of water for the two agencies differ, one thing is clear: c...

Business leaders and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) have collaborated on a Water Investment Rating tool to evaluate new businesses looking to locate in the community. The two-phase rating system relies on quantitative and qualitative calculations to determine the water footprint of new businesses and the benefit to the community. Dave Johnson , SNWA Deputy General Manager of Operations...

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has two new initiatives to encourage more tree plantings and expand the community’s urban forest. Zane Marshall , SNWA’s Director of Water Resources, shares details about how property owners can get a cash incentive of $100 per new tree planted as part of the Water Smart Landscapes Rebate. Marshall also talks about the long-term benefit of a robust urban...

From finding leaks in 6,500 miles of buried pipeline to managing the complexities of regulatory compliance, technology is helping agencies like the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) solve the unique challenges facing the water industry. Dave Lynch , CEO of technology company Klir, and SNWA’s Deputy General Manager of Operations Dave Johnson talk tech and how the nonprofit WaterStart helps mat...

Leaks inside and outside your home can cause devastating damage and significantly increase your water bill. The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) has improved its leak notification system so that customers get notified within days of a potential problem and before a high water bill may arrive. We talk with Dennis Demera , LVVWD Customer Care & Field Services Manager, about the new system...

As summer heats up, we all drink more water. You can find out what’s in your tap water by reviewing your water agency’s Water Quality Report. Carolyn Faircloth , the Water Quality Laboratory Manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), talks about how to determine what’s in your drinking water and why it meets all state and federal standards on episode 40 of the  Water Smarts Podcast ,...

If you have a plumbing problem, do you know how to find a qualified professional to fix it? The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) takes the heavy lifting out of your search with its new Water Smart Plumbers program. Toby Bickmore with SNWA’s Conservation team explains the new online resource, what plumbers must do to qualify for the program, and how you can benefit from this new, free resourc...

City of Henderson (COH) is leading by example with its many water-saving projects. COH Municipal Forester Preston Goodman shares how replacing more than 2 million square feet of grass at 50 Henderson parks will save millions of gallons of water annually without impacting play areas. Find out how on the Water Smarts Podcast , “Henderson parks go water smart.” Water Smarts Podcast Hosts: Bronson Mac...

There are more than 3,000 HOA communities in Southern Nevada, and all must be in compliance with a new Nevada law requiring decorative grass be replaced with water-smart options by the end of 2026. With HOA board turnover and multiple points of contact, how is the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) ensuring the HOAs are aware of and in compliance with the new law, which will save more than 5 b...

Trees are an important part of our community and urban environment, especially as we face a hotter, drier future in Southern Nevada. To protect our water supply, many residents and business owners are replacing water-thirsty grass with water-smart landscapes, but the upgrade process can put trees in jeopardy. Star Nursery experts Dr. Q and Joey Lynn Watt talk about how to shield trees during a lan...

Necessity is the mother of invention, and a 20-year megadrought is the driving force behind several new aggressive water conservation measures in Southern Nevada. Doug Bennett , SNWA Conservation Manager, and JC Davis , Director of Customer Care & Field Services for the Las Vegas Valley Water District, talk about how you might be impacted by the new conservation initiatives and what you can do...

As Southern Nevada faces the second year of water reductions due to a federally-declared shortage on the Colorado River, water agencies are implementing new conservation measures and rate changes to drive down community water use. Water Smarts Podcast hosts Crystal Zuelke and Bronson Mack discuss two water rate changes that could mean significant increases for some customers if they don’t reduce t...

If you change the brake pads or tires on your vehicle before they fail, you’re practicing good “asset management.” The Southern Nevada Water Authority asset management program helps keep the Las Vegas Valley water system in top condition and operating smoothly. Doa Ross , Deputy General Manager Engineering, and Ryan Benner , Engineering Asset Manager, talk about how they work to avoid major main b...

Water Smarts Podcast host Bronson Mack recently took City Cast Las Vegas host Dayvid Figler on a water waste ride along. The two talked turkey about how to spot and stop water waste with the help of LVVWD water waste investigator Cameron Donnarumma . In this special edition, we’re featuring the podcast produced and originally published by City Cast Las Vegas, titled “A Water Cop Ride Along.”   You...

The Clark County School District (CCSD) is leading the way with its water-smart projects, including converting 24 athletic fields to synthetic turf and replacing grass with water-smart landscaping at 195 schools. Combined, these projects save nearly 400 million gallons of water each year. Hear how these projects will impact valley schools and how CCSD is leaning in strong on water conservation. Ma...

How will additional water cuts under tier 2 shortage conditions impact Southern Nevada’s water supply next year? Why can’t we just cut off the water to other Colorado River users? How can our community continue to grow and thrive with its limited water supply? And, just who does use the most water in Southern Nevada? Colby Pellegrino , the SNWA Deputy General Manager of Water Resources, taps the t...

From a well-placed kick by “Mrs. Nuttington” to the body-checks by former Vegas Golden Knights hockey player Ryan Reaves, the public outreach campaigns by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and its ad agency have made people laugh, gasp and save water. SNWA’s Beth Moore gives the scoop on how these successful campaigns are created and the challenge of reaching the entire Las Vegas Valley o...

In this special Water Smarts Podcast, we feature an interview by Dayvid Figler of the City Cast Las Vegas Podcast with JC Davis, Enterprise Conservation Manager at the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). Dayvid and JC talk about a new law, AB356 , that was passed last year in response to our ever-worsening drought. The law will prohibit use of Colorado River water to irrigate decorative grass...

A permanent aridification of the Colorado River due to climate change means those sharing the river also will have to share the pain of shortage reductions as less water flows from the Colorado River into lakes Powell and Mead. Southern Nevada relies on the river for 90 percent of its water supply yet is uniquely positioned to weather the reductions due to investments in infrastructure and the suc...

Lake Mead’s water levels are at historic lows and the Colorado River is suffering from a decades-long megadrought, resulting in federal shortage declarations that have reduced Southern Nevada’s water supply. Since residential landscape irrigation consumes much of the Las Vegas Valley’s water, watering smart has never been more important. Doug Bennett, the Conservation Manager of the Southern Nevad...

How do you know your tap water is safe to drink? Carolyn Faircloth , the Water Quality Laboratory Manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), shares how she and her team test and monitor our drinking water to ensure high-quality water is delivered to your home or business every day. Hosts Crystal Zuelke and Bronson Mack talk water quality and how you can find out what’s in our water on...

Scientists have been using sewage to track COVID-19 in the community throughout the pandemic and even now as the virus enters the endemic stage. Using wastewater surveillance helps scientists determine the prevalence of the virus and what variants are present in the Las Vegas Valley. We talk with Dr. Dan Gerrity, Principal Research Laboratory Scientist for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA...

Spring is the season for renewal the time when many of us get our hands dirty and spruce up our yards. We talk with Star Nursery experts Dr. Q and Joey Lynn Watt about how to irrigate, prune, fertilize and get rid of garden pests on episode 23 of the Water Smarts Podcast , “SPRING ALIVE! Garden and landscape tips from Star Nursery’s Dr. Q and Joey Lynn Watt.”  Hosts: Bronson Mack and Crystal Zuelk...