Water bill for lake an eye-popper

Owning and operating Southern Nevada's second largest lake can really do a number on your water bill.

Over the last year, Lake Las Vegas bought $1.9 million worth of untreated water from Henderson to keep its lake full and its golf courses green, according to city records.

The 1.37 billion gallons of water purchased by the master-planned community is equal to the amount typically used to supply about 8,400 homes.

Lake Las Vegas used it to replace water that was lost to evaporation or pumped from the 320-acre lake to irrigate the community's trio of golf courses.

The water that fills the man-made lake comes untreated to the posh development through a branch of the same Lake Mead straw that serves the old Basic Management chemical plants near downtown Henderson.

The city charges Lake Las Vegas $1.41 for every 1,000 gallons of so-called "raw water" it uses, said Kathleen Richards, spokeswoman for Henderson's Utility Services Department.

Most Henderson residents pay $1.46 per 1,000 gallons for treated drinking water that flows from their taps.

At any given time, Lake Las Vegas is filled with roughly 3.3 billion gallons of water.

Between 40 and 50 percent of the water in the lake gets replaced throughout the year, with the heaviest water use coming in summer when evaporation is at its highest and the golf courses are at their thirstiest.

Untreated water from Lake Mead is also used to run the waterfall that tumbles down a hillside near the entrance to Lake Las Vegas.

Richards said the development is paid up on its water bills from the city.

Residents and businesses at the 3,592-acre development get their drinking water from Henderson's main water distribution system.

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.