If water is a problem, why are we approving new houses and apartments?

I saw the front-page article in Tuesday’s Nevada section about the dangers of a water shortage. Yet wherever I go, I see new subdivisions and apartments being built. If we are doomed to water shortages, why are we building new homes that will make the situation only worse? Why isn’t the Southern Nevada Water Authority taking steps to halt this if it can’t guarantee a steady supply of water in the future?