People living in Southern Nevada now know water waste when they see it. Whether it’s landscape water flowing down a sidewalk, swimming pools being drained into the gutter, or spray irrigation running full-blast in the middle of a summer day.

Not only is water waste, well, unnecessarily wasteful?especially during a 20-plus year drought on the Colorado River?but it’s also against the law and subject to fines. Local water providers, including the Las Vegas Valley Water District and the cities of Boulder City, Henderson and North Las Vegas, have adopted ordinances that prohibit water waste. These utilities also allow the public to report water waste anonymously via their websites or apps you can download to your phone or mobile device. Wasting water can result in costly fines ranging up to $5,000 for multiple violations.

Still, many misconceptions about water waste abound in the community. So, let’s take this opportunity to clear the air and bust some of those myths.

Myth: Water run-off from spray irrigation is unavoidable

Fact: You can avoid water run-off by inspecting your system for damaged or misaligned sprinkler heads and following the community’s seasonal watering schedules, which limit the number of days and times of day you can irrigate your landscape. Limiting the amount of water you apply to your grass landscape will allow the ground to absorb water and reduce run-off. Pro tip: run your lawn sprinklers in three, 4-minute cycles, set one hour apart. If water still runs off the property, reduce to 3-minute cycles, but water grass no more than a total of 12 minutes per watering day.

Myth: Don’t blame me; my landscaper sets my irrigation clock!

Fact: While landscape professionals understand the critical importance of saving water in Southern Nevada, keep in mind?their job is to keep your landscape green and alive. It’s why you pay them, after all! Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to make sure your clock is set to follow the community’s seasonal watering schedules and avoid overwatering, which can cause run-off from your property. Pro tip: post the watering schedule next to your sprinkler clock and ask your landscaper to set your irrigation system accordingly each season.??

For more information on how you can help prevent and report water waste, visit snwa.com .

Members of the editorial and news staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal were not involved in the creation of this content.