An increasing number of businesses in Southern Nevada are participating in rebate incentive programs that reduce water use and pay dividends through smaller water bills and reduced operation costs.
These companies are finding small changes can reap big savings when they take advantage of the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) rebate incentives for businesses.
Chief among these programs are the Water Smart Landscapes rebate (WSL) and Water Efficient Technologies (WET) program. Commercial and multi-family properties investing in water-saving devices and technologies can earn WET program financial incentives. And, properties replacing thirsty turf with water-efficient landscaping not only earn a WSL rebate for each square foot of grass removed, but also save on water bills and landscape maintenance costs.
Among the community associations who have committed to converting landscapes through WSL is Peccole Ranch Community Association. Since 2005, Peccole Ranch has converted roughly 350,000 square feet of grass in several phases—with more common area conversions planned for this year and throughout the next decade.
Maryan Goodsell, vice president of the Peccole Ranch Community Association, said a surprising aspect of the WSL program was how quickly her association realized savings in both its water consumption and reduced water bills.
“We thought it would take at minimum a year to see some kind of savings on our water bill,” she said. “But it was within completion of the first season we discovered substantial savings on our water bills.”
With WSL, qualifying properties earn $3 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with water-smart landscaping up to the first 10,000 square feet converted per property, per year. Beyond the first 10,000 feet, the SNWA will provide a rebate of $1.50 per square foot. The maximum rebate for any property in a fiscal year is $500,000.
Goodsell said the money Peccole Ranch saved will be applied to future WSL conversions. “You don’t have to have grass to be beautiful. Small landscapes or large can be made beautiful and extremely water smart.”
Meanwhile, local businesses participating in the SNWA’s WET program have saved more than 15 billion gallons of water since 2001; among them is Doña Maria Tamales, an institution in downtown Las Vegas since 1980.
When owner Neriza Johnson decided it was time to replace an aging ice machine, she called SNWA to enroll in the WET program.
“They came out right away,” Johnson said, noting SNWA staff inspected the old ice machine, approved her WET application and checked on the new machine after it was installed. “And then they sent us a check.”
Within a month of replacing the obsolete ice machine with a newer, more efficient model, Johnson said her water costs were cut by half.
“Being in Las Vegas my whole life, I’ve learned it’s important to conserve all our resources, especially water,” Johnson said. “If we can save water and money, it’s a win-win.”
Ice machines. High-efficiency toilets and showerheads, waterless urinals and cooling towers are some of the many pre-approved technologies with predictable water savings that qualify for a WET rebate.
Under the Wet program, Southern Nevada businesses can choose from a menu of pre-approved water-saving technologies such as restroom fixtures and cooling tower upgraded to keep your company water smart. SNWA also will work with you to implement custom water-saving solutions ns that meet your business needs.
“Las Vegas is our home. Las Vegas has been great to us,” Johnson said. “Wherever we can help out, we’re always there.”
For more information about how you and your business can invest in our community and save money and water through the SNWA’s WSL and WET programs, visit snwa.com or call (702) 862-3740.
