Water features like the one at the Bellagio Hotel are a staple of the strip — but the state of Nevada is planning new restrictions on fountains, rivers and lakes to deal with the drought. The plans could also affect golf courses in southern Nevada, where residential pools are already subject to new restrictions. It follows warnings sent to residents of an exclusive Los Angeles area earlier this month warning them about water use during a “severe” drought emergency. Image: Fountains like this one outside the Bellagio are a staple of the Vegas strip Celebrities including Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Sylvester Stallone and Kevin Hart were among 2,000 customers issued with “excess notices” by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) after using more than 150% of their monthly budget for water at least four times since then. at the beginning of the year, according to the Los Angeles Times. In Nevada, one of three proposals outlined by the Las Vegas Valley Water District would see single-family home owners charged a fee of $9 (£7.67) for every 1,000 gallons they use over the seasonal water limit. Under another proposal, water budgets for golf courses would shrink by a third by 2024. The proposals will be voted on by the watershed board following a public consultation. A rule already in effect Sept. 1 will limit residential pools to a maximum size of 600 square feet. Further outdoor water restrictions are also being considered. The proposed restrictions follow the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s recent announcement that Nevada will have to reduce its use of water from the Colorado River by 8 percent next year because of the historic drought in the western states. Nevada, which uses the least amount of water among the seven states that draw from the river, said it would cut its annual allocation of 300,000 acre-feet by 25,000 acre-feet next year.
