Thanks in large part to the success of its cash-for-grass program, the Southern Nevada Water Authority has been named the nation's most water efficient utility by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Citing the "innovation and simplicity" of the turf rebate program, the EPA named the authority as the only utility to win the inaugural Water Efficiency Leader award.

Since the turf rebate program was launched in 1999, almost 76.2 million square feet of grass has been torn out and replaced with desert landscaping. The program is credited with saving some 4.2 billion gallons of water a year.

SNWA Conservation Manager Doug Bennett said the EPA award serves as validation for the authority's total conservation effort, which includes incentive programs, informational campaigns and regulatory changes.

But one vocal critic of the water authority said the award doesn't mean much to him.

"This is the same EPA that gave an award for putting a mega-city in the middle of the dry Mojave Desert," said Bob Fulkerson, state director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. "If they're going to give an award to Coyote Springs, they might as well give one to the SNWA. Both are equally undeserving."

In April, the EPA honored lobbyist-turned-developer Harvey Whittemore for making "environmentally sensitive improvements" to his massive Coyote Springs development, 60 miles north of Las Vegas.

In its announcement last week, the EPA singled out such initiatives such as the Water Smart Home program, the Water Efficient Technologies program and efforts to bring "smart" sprinkler controllers into widespread use.

The Water Smart Home program provides incentives for local builders to construct new single-family homes with appliances, plumbing fixtures, landscape and irrigation systems that use considerably less water than typical homes.

The Water Efficient Technologies program offers rebates to commercial customers that convert to water-saving equipment.

Fulkerson said giving an award for the authority's efforts overall is like throwing your child a party for bringing home a report card with nothing but C's on it.

"Yes, they are doing a whiz-bang job on outdoor conservation. They are falling incredibly short on indoor conservation," he said. "We shouldn't reward mediocrity."

Bennett defended the authority's work indoors and out.

"We're such a new community. The vast majority of our homes and businesses already have high-efficiency water fixtures," he said. "And if you understand how our water supply works at all, the only item that puts more water into the hands of the community is reducing consumptive use: landscape use and cooling use."