Water district seeks savings

The savings may seem like a drop in the bucket, but the valley's largest water utility plans to close its offices on Fridays to offset a sharp decline in revenue.

Officials for the Las Vegas Valley Water District hope to save about $200,000 a year in fuel and energy costs by switching to a four-day workweek.

Most workers strongly support the change, water district spokesman Scott Huntley said.

The effect on customers should be negligible, he said.

Two percent of the district's roughly 360,000 customers pay their monthly water bills at the main office on Valley View and Charleston boulevards. Most customers pay their bills online, over the phone or at one of nearly 200 payment drop boxes around the valley.

Though district offices will be closed Fridays, they will extend their hours Monday through Thursday to open at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

Field maintenance workers and meter readers also will shift to the new schedule.

The change will not affect water operations and treatment, emergency service or water-waste investigations, all of which will continue to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Huntley said the district's call center, which customers can call to report leaks or ask questions about their bills, also will continue 24-hour operation.

The Clark County Commission, which serves as the water district's board of directors, is slated to vote on the schedule change during a meeting at 9 a.m. today.

Commissioners also will vote on whether to cancel cost- of-living raises for all district employees over the next year.

Huntley said the district's revenue from water deliveries is off about 11 percent from what was budgeted for the current year. The drop is probably a result of conservation efforts, stagnant population growth and a rise in the number of vacant homes across the valley.

About 5 percent of the district's operating money comes from new customer connection charges, but that revenue is off 94 percent from what district officials budgeted for this year.

"That means there's no growth. Zero, zilch, none," Huntley said.

Lower than expected revenue overall could result in a budget shortfall of $30 million to $40 million this year, but Huntley cautioned that the figures are rough.

One thing is clear, Huntley said: "The loss of revenue means we have to tighten our belts."

The three unions that represent water district employees already have agreed to forgo cost-of-living raises during the fiscal year starting July 1. Today's vote would formalize that agreement and extend it to nonunion workers as well.

It is unclear how much the move will save the district because the estimated cost of living for the coming fiscal year is not yet known, Huntley said.

According to the district, even a cost-of-living raise of 1 percent for all employees would increase the utility's overall payroll by $1.4 million in the coming year.

The district already has frozen merit raises for executives and senior managers, curtailed travel requests, reduced the use of contract labor and left 75 vacant positions unfilled.

A voluntary furlough program under which employees can take unpaid vacation days is being offered.

Huntley said the Southern Nevada Water Authority is slated to follow the water district's lead this month and vote on a four-day workweek and a one-year freeze on cost-of-living raises.

The water authority serves as the wholesale water supplier for the water district and other local utilities, including Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City, three cities that adopted four-day workweeks years ago.

The switch will not affect the district-owned Springs Preserve, which will be "open as usual every day," Huntley said.

The $235 million attraction at Valley View and U.S. Highway 95 cost the district $10.2 million in its first year. It is expected to need about $3 million a year from the district through 2013.

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