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Boulder City committee presses for SNWA effluent report, agrees to recurring agenda updates
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Summary
The Utility Advisory Committee asked staff for a timeline and briefings on an SNWA effluent-reuse report it says it has not seen, voted to keep the effluent study as a recurring agenda item for status and Q&A, and discussed how the pending utilities rate study could factor into decisions about treatment or pipeline options.
A majority of the Boulder City Utility Advisory Committee pressed city staff on the status of a Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) effluent-reuse report and agreed to keep updates on that study as a recurring agenda item so members can ask questions and make recommendations.
The committee’s discussion followed an informational presentation on recent water and electric demand by Acting Utilities Director Gary Poindexter, who told the group that seasonal demand has fallen and that “our water deliveries continue to decline throughout all fall months,” citing conservation and cooler temperatures as drivers. Committee members said they are unable to advise council effectively without access to the SNWA report and the city's comments on it.
Why it matters: The SNWA study contains potential options — including a pipeline to Henderson or local treatment — that would affect costs and future utility rates. Committee members said the study’s cost estimates and proposed solutions are critical to determining revenue requirements that the committee advises the council on.
Committee requests and staff response: A committee member asked when the city's comments were sent to SNWA and whether the report and comments are shareable. A staff member said the city sent comments and has followed up, but that the city had not received a complete response from SNWA. The staff member said individual briefings will be offered to committee members and that the city would compile a timeline before releasing broader details. “Once we meet with you guys individually about this, we can discuss that further as far as sharing the report and everything,” staff said.
A committee member who has tracked the effluent topic urged the group to compare options and costs, noting that SNWA spent about $40 million in 2024 on turf-reduction programs and said the city disposes an estimated 1,200,000 gallons per day (about 400 million gallons per year) of treated water to the desert. That member asked for a clear cost comparison between shipping wastewater to Henderson, building local treatment, or other alternatives.
Next steps and procedural notes: The committee agreed to request a special, informational meeting with staff to become fully informed and to include an update-and-discussion item about SNWA effluent at every future regular meeting until the issue is resolved. The chair said members could make recommendations to city council after they review the report and discuss options, and staff committed to return with clarifications about what material is public and what must first be finalized with SNWA.
Votes at a glance: The motion to make the effluent study a recurring agenda item (update and discussion) was placed on the next agenda at the committee’s direction; the only recorded formal vote during the meeting was approval of prior minutes (see related actions).
What remains unresolved: Committee members are still waiting for SNWA’s reply to the city’s comments and for the city to provide cost figures tied to each proposed solution. Staff said it would check on when the report and responses can be provided to the committee and council.
