Get ready to cut back on watering as fall schedule begins Thursday
Fall watering restrictions start Thursday in Southern Nevada, allowing residents to water only three assigned days per week.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority’s fall watering schedule runs from Thursday through Oct. 31. Assigned watering days vary based on location, and specific watering schedules can be found on the authority’s website.
The new restrictions mark a change from the summer allowance of six days per week. On Nov. 1, the watering season will change again to winter, which will allow residents to water only one day per week. And no matter what season, no watering is permitted on Sundays.
“Changing your sprinkler clock is just one of those things that we as residents and businesses and landscapers need to do four times a year,” said Bronson Mack, Southern Nevada Water Authority public information officer.
The water authority enforces watering rules year-round by following up on water waste tips and patrolling in areas known for not following water guidelines. Repeat offenses can result in fines that range from $40 to $5,000.
Though the schedule changes Thursday, most people don’t usually change their watering schedule until about mid-September, Mack said.
“The sooner we all make that switch, the more water we save as a community,” he said.
While days are still extremely hot in September, nights are cooler and days are shorter than in summer months. These differences result in plants and landscapes losing less water, allowing plants to stay healthy despite fewer watering days, Mack said.
The water authority noted that the seasonal restrictions take on added significance this year after the federal government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River on Aug. 16. Coupled with other Colorado River water-saving agreements, the shortage declaration reduces the amount of water Southern Nevada can withdraw from Lake Mead by 25,000-acre feet, or about 8.1 billion gallons, beginning in January 2023.
“If every property in Southern Nevada follows the seasonal water restriction year-round, our community will save more water than is being cut under the current shortage conditions,” the authority said in a release.
The water authority also has launched a new advertising initiative on its YouTube channel, he said.
More information on seasonal watering schedules, other conservation strategies and water waste reporting can be found on the authority’s website.
Contact Mark Credico at mcredico@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkCredicoII.
