we discussed the various ways that citizens of Las Vegas are conserving water use. From the fixed lawn watering schedule to the harsh water wasting fines, Las Vegas has totally cracked down on its citizens’ rampant water use. We also discussed the absurd amount of water used by Las Vegas golf courses and how some courses are taking individual steps to lower their water use. But that’s still not enough. With water levels in Lake Mead set to hit unprecedented lows, many are starting to panic and consider more drastic solutions.

Currently, there is a project to build a third intake pipe in Lake Mead. This pipe is designed to suck all the remaining water out of Lake Mead, even if water levels get too low for the Hoover Dam turbines. The third intake will also be low enough that it will continue to work even if the low water levels put intakes one and two out of service. According to , the intake pipe is scheduled to complete construction in 2015 but recent delays have pushed the completion date back. The construction of the third intake pipe has been , “one of the most complicated tunneling projects in the world.” The project includes digging a tunnel three miles long and wide enough for a 20 foot diameter pipe. The $817 million tunnel project has been , “an action to avoid an emergency” by the authority’s senior deputy general manager. This third intake will be located at the bottom of the lake instead of to the side like the first two intakes. This insures that every last drop of water can be used by thepeople of Las Vegas.

The project was being spearheaded by water czar Pat Mulroy, who was known amongst state politicians for her “whatever it takes” mentality when it came to water. Mulroy got her start in 1991 when she helped create the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Since then, she found ways to maximize Las Vegas’ water supply. Mulroy was also known for the way she gobbled up water rights around the state, rather than urging conservation in Las Vegas. Before she left, she okayed a project with significant opposition.

The project is the building of a series of pipelines that would siphon the water from the valleys in eastern Nevada. The water would then be sent through a series of pipes to Las Vegas. The plan is expected to cost up to $15 billion and is met with significant opposition. Those who oppose the plan are concerned the pipe won’t bring the amount of water promised, would ravage the environment and obviously the egregious cost.

Many claim that this pipeline would not be necessary if the city could learn to better conserve water. Some have even suggested building desalination plants off the California coast and pumping the water in that way. However, there are many issues with desalination. First of all desalination plants cost a lot of money and require significant amounts of energy to run their operations. There is also pollution to consider when weighing the pros and cons of a desalination plant. Desalination plants release a salty, chemical ridden brine as part of the process and this brine can be harmful to marine life. In fact, Mulroy briefly considered “building a desalination plant in California or Mexico and then piping the water in but electricity just to pump the water would cost $400 million a year, more than the entire operating budget for the SNWA” (Charles Fishman 84).

The three alternate proposals laid out before you are all very drastic solutions to a difficult problem. The third intake pipe will at least provide some short term relief for the residents of Las Vegas. Although the project is costly and has suffered delays, it will allow the residents of Las Vegas to use every last drop of water they can (and there’s something green about that right?) The pipeline to siphon water from rural counties in eastern Nevada is also another incredibly drastic solution. The project is easily the costliest of all three and could potentially do the most damage to the state of Las Vegas. This series of pipelines could tear up the earth in Nevada and poses a significant threat for anyone who lives in eastern Nevada. The third solution is to begin construction on desalination plants in the Pacific Ocean. Desalination plants are already widely used in places like the Middle East where water is even more scarce. These plants are very costly to construct and evencostlier to run. They pollute the water around them with brine and will need a series of pipelines to then get all the water to Las Vegas. None of these solutions are ideal but after decades of rampant water abuse, these may be the only moves left for Las Vegas to make.

Bibliography

Third Drinking Water Intake At Lake Mead. Southern Nevada Water Authority. <

Morris, Sam. Whatever It Takes To Bring Water To The Valley. Las Vegas Sun. <

Brean, Henry. 13 Month Delay Looms for Lake Mead Pipeline Completion. Las Vegas Review Journal. <

Younos, Tamim. Environmental Issues with Desalination. University Council on Water Resources. Virginia Polytechnic Institute. <

Fishman, Charles. (2011). The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. Simon and Schuster.