LAS VEGAS:

Concerns
and Community
How Can
We Help?

July 2005
LAS VEGAS IS GROWING

• Clark County’s population:

1,641,529
• Increasing by 6,000 people
a month
• Las Vegas is the fastest
growing metropolitan area
in the US
RESIDENTIAL GROWTH

Growth has reached the outer

limits of development
• 29,248 new home sales
in 2004 - up 15.9%
from 2003
• New home permits totaled
32,879 – up 30.4%
• The median price of a new
home in December rose to
$290,287 – up 38.5%
TRANSIENT POPULATION

• Only 20.4% of Las Vegans

were born in Nevada, the
lowest in the US; the national
average is 61.8%
• Over 25% have lived in the
city less than 5 years
EXPANDING SCHOOLS

• Clark County School District

is the single largest employer
• 12 new schools will open
in 2005-06
IMPACT OF TOURISM

• Gaming, hotel and hospitality

industry employs approximately
30% of Las Vegans
• Las Vegas had 131,503 hotel
rooms in 2004, the most of
any US city
• Every new hotel room attracts
10 new workers
TOURISM GROWTH

• 37,388,781 tourists in 2004

• Contributed $33,723,919,453
• Tourist numbers continue
to increase
• Airport traffic is up 7% to 18
million visitors so far this year
tH e touri StS
• Average length of stay: 3.6 nights
• M
ost visitors come from the Western
States: 48%
• Most come from California: 32%
• Percentage of first-time visitors: 19%
• A
verage number of repeat trips taken
in one year: 1.6
CURRENT ISSUES

Increasing resident and tourist

numbers place serious pressure
on infrastructure:
• Water resources
• Waste management
• Air quality
• Social issues
WATER RESOURCES

• Residents use as much as USE OF WATER BY CUSTOMER TYPE

90% of the drinking water
Other 3.8%
supply to irrigate their lawns Common Areas
in the summer 3.9%

Schools/Govt./Parks
4.7%

Resorts 6.7%

Single-Family
Golf Courses 8.3% Residential
43.4%

Commercial/
Industrial
13.6%

Multi-Family
Based upon 2003 municipal
Residential
metered potable and non-potable water
consumption in the Southern Nevada
15.6%
Water Authority’s member service area.
WATER RESOURCES

• By 2008, demand for water

is forecast to exceed supply SUMMARY OF PROJECTED WATER
DEMANDS AND EXISTING RESOURCES

1,200,000

1,100,000
Projected Demand
1,000,000

900,000

Unused Nevada (Non-SNWA)

800,000
Colorado River Water Reclaimed Water
acre-feet/year

700,000

600,000

500,000
Colorado River Water
400,000 Return-Flow Credits

300,000

Colorado River Water

200,000
Consumption Use
100,000
Groundwater
0
2004

2040

2050
2006

2030
2020
2008

2044
2034

2046
2042

2048
2036
2026

2032
2022

2038
2028
2024
2010

2014

2016
2012

2018
WATER USE AND WASTE

• Southern Nevada uses 25%

more water per capita over
Phoenix, Arizona
• About 30 billion gallons of
water is wasted annually
WATER RESOURCES —
WHO’S HELPING?
SNWA WATER SMART PROGRAM
Manages the region’s water
resources through programs
and incentives:
• Rebates for landscape
conversion, irrigation
clocks, and water-efficient
technologies
• Certifies Water-Smart homes
• Water Upon Request Program
WATER RESOURCES — WHO’S HELPING?

SNWA WATER SMART PROGRAM

Results
• Decreased water use by
more than 15 billion gallons
from 2002 to 2003
• Replaced more than 51
million square feet of grass,
saving more than 2.8 billion
gallons of water each year
• Transformed 32 million
square feet of grass to
water-smart landscaping
in 2004
WATER RESOURCES —
WHO’S HELPING?
MGM MIRAGE PROPERTIES
Conservation
• Saves millions of gallons per
water annually with water-
efficient air conditioning
systems
• Xeriscaped land and drip
irrigation saves up to 80%
of water
WATER RESOURCES — WHO’S HELPING?

MGM MIRAGE PROPERTIES

Water Treatment
• Reverse osmosis plant purifies up
to 100,000 gallons of nuisance
aquifer and gray water a day for
fountain features
WATER RESOURCES —
WHO’S HELPING?

ETHEL M CHOCOLATE
FACTORY
• The Living Machine: One-
acre water recycling plant
• First of its type treating
industrial wastewater
• Sludge produced is
converted into compost
• Saves 20,000 gallons
of water a day
WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Over 2 million tons of waste

is produced annually
• Clark County generates 8.3
lbs of waste per capita per
day - 45% higher than the
national average
• 278,000 pounds of food
waste generated per month
at the Bellagio alone
RECYCLING INTENT

• Recycling goals set

by Nevada State: 25%
of MSW
• Las Vegans recycle only
17%; the national average
is 29.7%
• Curb-side residential
recycling only accounts
for 3-4% of this amount

National Average Las Vegans

29.7% 17%
RESIDENTIAL
RECYCLING PROGRAMS

• Curb-side recycling is picked

up only twice a month
• No program is set up for
apartment buildings; 39% of
total housing are multi-family
dwellings
• Most commercial recycling
centers focus on big business
WASTE MANAGEMENT –
WHO’S HELPING?

UNLV REBEL
RECYCLING PROGRAM
• Evolved from environmental
student’s thesis project
• Operates on sales of
recyclables and $1 per
student from tuition fees
WASTE MANAGEMENT –
WHO’S HELPING?

UNLV REBEL
RECYCLING PROGRAM
• Staff collect recyclables
around campus in golf carts
• Provides a drop-off for
apartment residents and
small businesses
• Collected 550 tons of
campus recyclables in 2004
• Holds yard sales of clothing
gathered from residence halls
WASTE MANAGEMENT –
WHO’S HELPING?
RC FARMS / WASTE
MANAGEMENT INC.
• Picks up and processes
food waste from restaurants,
hotels, and schools
• Waste feeds 6,000 pigs
on farm
• 30 tons of food waste
is picked up daily
ENERGY RESOURCES

• Most power is generated

by burning non-renewable
resources: coal, oil, and
natural gas
• Nevada imports more than
95% of its energy
ENERGY RESOURCES

• Renewables account for only 2001 ELECTRICITY GENERATION

4% of electricity generated, BREAKDOWN
mostly from geothermal Other 4%
power plants Hydro 7%
Petroleum 3%

Coal 52%

Natural Gas
34%
RENEWABLE RESOURCES –
POTENTIAL
• Nevada is one of the best
states for wind and solar
potential
• Less than one tenth of one
percent of Nevada’s land
could generate all of the
state’s current electricity
needs
• Solar and wind energy could
produce over 100 million
MWh annually
ENERGY RESOURCES –
WHO’S HELPING?

NEVADA’S RENEWABLE
ENERGY PORTFOLIO
STANDARD
• Electric utilities must now
obtain 6% of the power they
sell from renewable sources
• Credits to energy providers
for every kilowatt-hour saved
through renewable energy
measures
• Goal is to reach 20%
by 2015
ENERGY RESOURCES –
WHO’S HELPING?
NEVADA POWER’S NET
METERING PROGRAM
• Residents creating their own
power from the sun and wind
send surpluses to the utility
and reduce their own bills
• Contributes to the utility’s
Renewable Energy Portfolio
ENERGY RESOURCES –
WHO’S HELPING?

CLARK COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
• Nevada Power’s largest
retail customer
• Nevada Power’s
GreenPower program: solar
and wind demonstration
school projects funded by
tax-deductible donations
• Sierra Vista High School to
generate up to 50% of its
electricity with wind turbines
ENERGY RESOURCES –
WHO’S HELPING?

UNLV SOLAR PANEL

PROJECT
• Federally funded solar panel
research project, partners
with Nevada Power
• UNLV, Pinnacle Homes,
ConSol, and Nevada Power
are developing a home that
creates more power than
it uses
AIR QUALITY

• Clark County ranks among

the worst 10% of all US
counties in terms of air quality
• High rates of Carbon
Monoxide, PM-10 (dust
matter), and Ozone
AIR QUALITY

• In 1985, the Valley logged a

record 48 unhealthy air days
due to carbon monoxide
• Still fails to meet the national
ambient air quality standards
for PM-10
THE CAR MINDSET

• Increasing number of
commuters drive alone
• Carpoolers and public transit
commuters are decreasing
• 43% of tourists arrive
by vehicle
• 57% of tourists use vehicles
within the city
VEHICLE EMISSIONS

• Vehicle emissions are the

single largest contributor to
air pollution in Las Vegas
• Exhaust accounts for 85%
of carbon monoxide air
pollution in Clark County
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY

• Almost half of the

particulate pollution from
fuel combustion comes
from construction vehicles—
nearly 2,500 tons of exhaust
per year
• Construction activity also
puts more than 63% of the
valley’s dust into the air—
46,000 tons per year
AIR QUALITY – WHO’S HELPING?

STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The Valley has not logged any bad air
days since 1999 through the following
local and state initiatives:
• Annual vehicle smog checks
• Smog Hotline to report offenders
• Seasonal oxygenated and
cleaner-burning gas programs
• Transit options: Club Ride
Commuter Program, Max Ride
AIR QUALITY – WHO’S HELPING?

LAS VEGAS REGIONAL

CLEAN CITIES COALITION
(LVRCCC)
• Public-private partnership
expands the use of alternative
fuels and vehicles
• Increased the number of
alternative fuel vehicles
to more than 6,000
in the Valley
AIR QUALITY – WHO’S HELPING?
CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL
DISTRICT BUS FLEET
• Manufacturers produce 20%
biodiesel fuel for bus fleet
using leftover grease from
local restaurants
• Clark County restaurants produce
twice the national annual average
of grease per resident
SOCIAL ISSUES

• 13,000 homeless people in

Las Vegas – up from 7,887
a year ago
• Affordable housing has
a two-year waiting list
SOCIAL ISSUES - WHO’S HELPING?

CATHOLIC CHARITIES PLAZA

• Feeds approximately
800 people a day
• Receives excess food
from hotels
• Trains the homeless and
unemployed to become
culinary union members
• Hotels and the School
District hire day laborers
through the facility
THE BIG PICTURE
What is sustainable living?
How can it be achieved?
• Joint effort between
government, business,
and individuals
• Community building
and education
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

KYLE CANYON GATEWAY

(under development)
• BLM-auctioned 1600-acre
tract of federal land 15 miles
northwest of downtown
• City and Focus Property
Group are producing a joint
draft plan on sustainability
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
KYLE CANYON GATEWAY
(under development)
• 50% will be designated
for open space
• Housing, schools, parks, and
jobs must be within walking
distance
• Alternative energy planned
for homes and vehicles
OUR ROLE -
DESERT LIVING CENTER
• Awareness
• Education
• Practice
• Community-building
DESERT LIVING CENTER
SUSTAINABILITY GALLERY
REDISCOVERING
DESERT LIVING
• Nothing Disappears
• Doing More with Less
• Explore the Alternatives
DESERT LIVING
CENTER GARDENS

• Understanding the Mojave

• Sustainable Home
• Shaping Your Environment
• Using Water Wisely
• Outdoor Living
• Planting and Maintenance
HOW CAN WE HELP