Drudge points to an article about Nevada water policy by the BBC (pretty local and esoteric for a news agency half a world away). Aside from the issue at hand, I'm struck by the rather balanced tone of the article, which is contrary to my expectations given the BBC's reputation as a leftist organ. Sure, the article is about an environmental concern that won't take shape for 20 years, but the advocates for changing current policy are identified as "environmental activists" and their motivations are actually attributed to their own person gain rather than being the last best hope of humanity. No one was interviewed who had a contrary opinion, but I really did learn a lot about how water is used in Las Vegas, and the casinos weren't vilified.
But this is one of "Sin City's" greatest myths. Local hotels account for just 7% of the area's total water usage, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority."The hotel casinos use only 30% of their water allocation on outdoor use, while 70% is used indoors in rooms and kitchens and that water is reclaimed and used again," says Cruz.
"Even though the Bellagio has the largest water feature on the Strip, it benefits from ground water. We are consuming less water than when it was functioning as a golf course when it was the old Dunes (hotel)."
