Sandoval to remove lawn at Governor's mansion due to drought

One of the top water users in the Reno area, Gov. Brian Sandoval said Wednesday he is taking steps to cut back on outdoor irrigation and plans to remove turf in his yard to set an example during this time of drought.

A landscape contractor who is taking care of Sandoval's Latigo Drive home while he and his family reside in the governor's Carson City mansion accepted blame for overwatering that at one point consumed more than 1 million gallons over the course of a year, according to records obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Both statements came the same day Sandoval signed an executive order establishing a panel of drought experts to come up with recommendations how to respond to a drought in Nevada that has now lasted four years.

On Wednesday, the Reno-Gazette Journal obtained a list of the top 1,000 water users served by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority from 2011 to 2014 through a public records request to the utility.

The list showed that in the category of flat-rate residential customers, Sandoval's Reno home regularly ranked among the top 150 in the most water consumed. The highest water use for the governor's nearly 1-acre, grassy lot that includes a swimming pool was in 2012 at 1,041,000 gallons and the least was last year at 876,000 gallons, according to the water authority's records.

The typical home in Reno uses about 124,000 gallons of water a year.

Sandoval said he became aware of excessive water use last winter, contacted his contractor and "immediately told them to reduce water consumption."

The governor said he is now soliciting bids for a major landscape renovation at his Reno home, including the removal of several thousand square feet of turf and the installation of desert landscaping. The governor has also requested a water audit from the water authority to determine other potential ways to reduce water use, according to an aide.

"Once it came to my attention I'm taking action to move forward," Sandoval said. "I think it's the right thing to do....See Original Story >