Las Vegas Metro Chamber President and CEO, Mary Beth Sewald, will testify in front of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power on Wednesday, October 30, in Washington, D.C. The hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. EST/7:00 a.m. PST, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 366.

Sewald was invited by Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto to share the efforts by the Southern Nevada business community, through programs offered by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, to reduce water usage and utilize innovation to adopt new ways to minimize water use in the region.

During her testimony, Sewald will highlight several programs through the Southern Nevada Water Authority that help and encourage businesses to minimize water use in the region. The programs include:

  • The Water Smart Home Program, which is a pilot project developed by the SNWA and the Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association that requires homebuilders to include water-smart landscaping, water-efficient appliances and meet other requirements to reduce water usage. Water Smart homes use approximately 49 percent less water than homes built between 1990 and 2003.
  • SNWA’s Water Smart Landscapes Program, which is a separate program that has yielded remarkable water savings by removing 189 million square feet of grass and conserving over 130 billion gallons of water since the program began in 1999.
  • The Water Efficient Technologies, or WET, Program that offers financial incentives to commercial and multi-family property owners to install water-efficient devices. In 2019 alone, WET projects have resulted in water savings of nearly 50 million gallons annually.
  • The WaterStart program that identifies real challenges facing water agencies and accelerates adoption of private-sector innovation. To date, WaterStart has evaluated 278 prototypes and funded 22 pilot projects that have saved end users millions of dollars.

“I’m thrilled to have Mary Beth Sewald come before the Subcommittee on Water and Power to discuss the innovative ways Nevada’s business community is partnering with public agencies to conserve our vital water resources,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I say it all the time, Nevada is an example to the entire nation of how innovative technology can be used to protect our environment and conserve our resources, all while providing a benefit to our communities and businesses. I look forward to introducing Mary Beth to my colleagues, and to hearing her testimony on this important issue.”

“When it comes to water conservation, Southern Nevada is a model for the world. I am honored to share the important role our business community has played in reducing consumption and embracing innovation to preserve our precious water resources,” said Sewald.

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