John J. Entsminger, General Manager

www.snwa.com

Belts, Suspenders and Safety Pins:

How America’s Driest City is Preparing for an Uncertain

Future

Approximately:

- 8,000 square miles

- 2 million residents

- 40 million annual visitors

- 4 inches annual rainfall

Southern Nevada: A Snapshot

Regional water supply planning

Conservationprogramming

Operate Major Regional Facilities

Water Quality

Facility construction

What We Do:

3

Southern Nevada relies on Colorado River resources to meet 90 percent of its water demands.

3,900,000

1,000,000

850,000

1,700,000

4,440,000

2,850,000

300,000

ColoradoWyomingNew MexicoUtahCaliforniaArizonaNevada

Nevada receives 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually.

Beginning in 1999, the Colorado River Basin has been experiencing severe drought conditions.

January 2000 Elevation: 1,214 ft.July 2010 Elevation: 1,087 ft.

The drought has had devastating impacts to Lake Mead’s water elevations.

8

850

875

900

925

950

975

1,000

1,025

1,050

1,075

1,100

1,125

1,150

1% 5% 10% 25% 50%

YEAR

Lake

Mea

d El

evati

on in

Fee

t

2025 2030 20352015 2020 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060

Ongoing, persistent drought projections anticipate that reservoir elevations will remain low.

Elevation Probabilities

Access to water supplies Access lost at 1,000 feet – currently at 1,085 feet

Compromised water quality

Additional treatment costs

Additional power costs

New facility or facility upgrade costs

Supplemental resource costs

Loss of operational flexibility

Note: Analysis done using Historical Hydrology only

What does lowered Lake Mead elevations

mean for Southern Nevada?

Lake Mead Intake Profile

Intake 1

Intake 2

What We’re Doing:

Reducing Demands

Working with Colorado

River partners

Securing temporary

and long-term supplies

Safeguarding our access

Southern Nevada has been diligent in its conservation efforts.

Development codesLandscape rebatesWatering restrictionsFixture retrofit kitsWater auditsCar wash couponsEfficient irrigation programsWater Efficient TechnologiesPool cover rebatesWater Smart Contractor programWater Smart Home programWater Upon Request programWater Conservation CoalitionWater Smart Innovations ConferenceConservation HelplineDemonstration GardensH2O UniversityWater waste investigations

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

1.5 mil

1.6 mil

1.7 mil

1.8 mil

1.9 mil

2 milPopulation

14

Southern Nevada consumptively used about 32 billion gallons less water in 2013

than in 2002, despite annual population increases and millions of annual visitors.

Water Use (Acre-feet)

Since Water Smart Landscapes Program inception:

• $205 million invested to date

• 78 billion gallons saved

• 170 million square feet of turf converted*

*Southern Nevada has removed enough grass for a roll of sod to extend 86 percent of earth’s circumference! (Approximately 25,000 miles)

15

What We’re Doing:

Reducing Demands

Working with Colorado

River partners

Securing temporary

and long-term supplies

Safeguarding our access

• Coordinated operations of the system’s two major reservoirs

• Shortages

• River augmentation

• Environmental issues

Since the onset of the drought, the seven Colorado River Basin states have been cooperatively addressing river issues:

Protecting river supplies remains a priority for the Basin States:

• System Conservation programs

• Weather modification efforts

• Conservation and resource opportunities with the country of Mexico

The United States also began working with Mexico to address basin-wide concerns.

1944 Water Treaty (US-Mexico)

MINUTE 318Mitigated earthquake

impacts – stored water in one country on behalf of another.

MINUTE 319Creates pilot program to replenish Colorado River Mexican Delta wetlands and outlines conditions for delivery reductions among the countries

19

What We’re Doing:

Reducing Demands

Working with Colorado

River partners

Securing temporary

and long-term supplies

Safeguarding our access

Temporary water supplies will meet interim demands until more permanent supplies are developed.

Arizona Water BankCalifornia Water BankSouthern Nevada Water BankVirgin and Muddy River Tributary Conservation and Imported ICSBrock Reservoir ICSYuma Desalting PlantExtraordinary Conservation ICSBinational ICS

Virgin River, Nevada

Groundwater Development Project alignment

A water supply separate from the drought-stricken Colorado River is necessary.

What We’re Doing:

Reducing Demands

Working with Colorado

River partners

Securing temporary

and long-term supplies

Safeguarding our access

Intake 1

Intake 21,000 Feet

1,050 Feet

The SNWA is constructing a third intake in Lake Mead to access the deepest part of the lake.

860 FeetIntake 3

- Replaces capacity in the event declining lake levels render Lake Mead Intake No. 1 inoperable

- Accesses water of best quality (deepest part of lake)

- Construction started 2008; to be finished in 2015

New Intake Site

Intake No. 3

Pumping Station

Discharge PipelineIntake 1

Water Treatment

Plant

Intake Structure

Access Shafts

Intake Tunnel

Connector Tunnel

Intake 2 Connection Intake 2

Major Project Components

• $817 million, all locally funded

• 3 shafts(Up to 30 ft. diameter and 600 ft deep)

•4 miles of tunnel(Up to 20 ft in diameter)

• A 100-ft tall steel and concrete intake structure on the lake bottom

CutterDiscs

Irreparable Cutter Discs

Worn Cutter Disc

Tunnel Boring Machine

Cement trucks for intake structure placement

Intake structure

Intake Structure Installation

Total Tremie Concrete = 11,300 cy

February and March 2012

A Look Ahead…Intake Structure Tie in

10-ft.

INTAKE 1

INTAKE 2

WATER TREATMENT

FACILITY

INTAKE STRUCTURE

ACCESS SHAFTS

(Complete)

INTAKE TUNNEL

CONNECTOR TUNNEL

CompletedJun 2010

Completed Jul 2014

INTAKE 2 CONNECTION

CompletedMar 2012

Lake Mead Intake No. 3Current Progress – August 2014

Current Tunnel Progress - 77%

It will take a suite of tools to minimize Southern Nevada’s drought risks.

When these tools are used in concert, Southern Nevada will enjoy reliable water supplies for years into the future.