There was a time in the past when Las Vegas was very irresponsible, especially when it came to water. Even though we live in a desert and are constantly under the pressure of not having enough water for our citizens, the cam which created Lake Mead changed things in the valley. Where there once was not nearly enough water to sustain life now there was far more than enough for everyone who lived here. Because of this excess of water, the casinos began to create an “oasis in the desert,” essentially using the money they had to build immense creations that defied the desert itself. They positioned water where there was none before, and plants that never could survive in the desert naturally. We literally began to waste water daily, simply because we had enough water to go around. The idea that we could control the environment and change it from it’s natural state into what we wanted it to be seemed like a triumph, and after some time the residents began to think the same way. After continually seeing the casinos doing this kind of thing, people began to try and take control of their personal environments too, installing landscapes and plants into their personal spaces that could never have survived previously. They installed artificial sprinkler systems to assist the plants in survival, and realized that through the use of enough water they could grow plants that were very delicate and green, including lush lawns of grass. The problem was that even though there was a seemingly endless supply of water in Lake Mead, as the population of the valley grew the drought that started taking place adversely effected the water supply. The problem became that there was no longer an ability to assure drinking water for all living things in the valley, and as a result we needed to begin conserving.
One of the necessary conservation measures that was employed was the restriction of watering landscapes in an attempt to cut back on waste, and at the same time the encouraging of the removal of water wasting landscaping in favor of more water smart methods. This means that you can get a rebate on the installation of things like artificial turf, because it does not use the water we are trying to conserve. Even though it is considered as an improvement y most home owners, and is considered a far superior method of covering your ground in the desert, we can still get rebates and discounts on it because it saves water. You can even go as far as to install a putting green in your home and get a rebate for doing it, because any kind of artificial turf fits into the programs offered. Las Vegas residents are being forced to be more responsible, even if they are not choosing to be. There is no way around the legal aspects of eliminating water waste, and ultimately forced participation in these programs is saving millions of gallons of water every year.