Southern Nevada water pipeline bill passes U.S. Senate, headed to president’s desk

By Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current

A proposed water pipeline project that would tunnel under the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area is one step closer to construction after a unanimous Senate vote Thursday.

The Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act, introduced by Nevada Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, directs the Department of the Interior to grant the Southern Nevada Water Authority rights-of-way for the construction and operation of a 40-mile water pipeline beneath the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.

The pipeline would have the capacity to carry 375 million gallons of water per day to Henderson and the southern Las Vegas Valley. Members of the state’s congressional delegation say the measure will improve water reliability and protect against future disruptions.

Cortez Masto’s legislation would also increase the size of the national conservation area by more than 9,000 acres on the southwestern portion– increasing its size by nearly 20% and bringing its total size to nearly 58,000 acres.

Henderson and southern valley residents currently rely on a single 27-mile water pipeline, making the area vulnerable to disruptions. Once constructed, the pipeline is expected to add a redundancy to the valley’s water systems if one of the pipelines needs to be reduced or turned off for a prolonged period of time.

“Right now, almost 40% of Las Vegas residents and businesses depend on the South Valley Lateral pipeline. That’s one single pipeline for nearly 3 million people,” said Cortez Masto. “The bill I passed today will allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to build a new water pipeline that will improve the reliability and capacity of our existing water system and will protect the water supply for nearly half of Las Vegas residents and businesses.”

The route through the national conservation area was chosen to avoid constructing the pipeline through the City of Henderson, which would have cost an additional estimated $200 million. Cortez Masto said the final route was determined to be the safest, most effective, and least disruptive route.

In total, the pipeline is expected to cost between $2 billion and $2.5 billion. It would be funded through infrastructure and commodity charges paid by Southern Nevada Water Authority ratepayers.

A companion bill in the U.S. House sponsored by Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus passed last year. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.

Critics of the bill say the construction of the pipeline could introduce new urban sprawl in the valley, especially if passed in coordination with the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act which would make about 25,000 acres of public lands south of Las Vegas available for development.

Referred to as the Clark County Lands bill, also introduced by Cortez Masto, has struggled to pass both the House or the Senate despite being reintroduced several times. But the latest version of the bill did gain support from the Clark County Commission, the non-profit affordable housing developer Nevada HAND, and a few environmental groups.

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