Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) officials are proposing to import 11 billion gallons of water a year from rural northeastern Nevada, nearly 300 miles away, to Las Vegas Valley. To accomplish this, SNWA plans to build a 285-mile water pipeline. Recent estimates peg the cost at $ billion, but former federal water planner Mark Bird and others think the true costs could be as much as four times higher. SNWA plans to finance Nevada’s largest-ever public works project with tax-exempt bonds. Given significant environmental concerns about the project, however, the bonds may present long-term risks. Critics of the project argue.
