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A Savings Account
One of the keys to maintaining a stable, reliable water supply
is diversifying the community’s sources of water. Among the
key components in the Southern Nevada Water Authority's (SNWA's)
water resource portfolio is the Southern Nevada Groundwater Bank,
a massive “natural” storage facility beneath the Las
Vegas Valley.
Beginning in 1987, the Las Vegas Valley
Water District and City of North Las Vegas, as member agencies
of the Water Authority, began pumping treated water from Lake Mead
into the valley’s primary groundwater aquifer. In the years
since the program began, they have collectively stored approximately
280,000 acre-feet of water for the community’s use in times
of need.
Artificial Recharge
The process by which this water is stored is called “artificial
recharge.” It is called “artificial” because water
in the principal groundwater aquifer normally originates from mountain
snowpack. In the case of the Southern Nevada Groundwater Bank, the
water is injected directly into the aquifer by wells.
Keeping water in reserve
Although it might seem tempting to forego conservation
measures and simply withdraw some of that stored water from the
Groundwater Bank during this period of drought, it is very important
that the community keep these reserves on hand for an emergency
or as a bridge to future resources. Maintaining a healthy balance
in the Southern Nevada Groundwater Bank provides assurances to the
community that we are prepared to weather an extended drought.
Maintaining a balance
While the Southern Nevada Groundwater Bank
is a resource upon which the community can draw in times of need,
the SNWA also sponsors a permanent recharge program to protect the
groundwater aquifer. By injecting water into portions of the valley
where the water table is susceptible to decline, the SNWA is able
to maintain stable water levels and reduce the likelihood of subsidence
and well failures.
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