Lennar development in Southern Highlands used 29.5 million gallons of water over 3 years

A Lennar housing development in Southern Highlands used 29.5 million gallons of water across 2024, 2025 and 2026, according to the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

The water use has raised concerns for Joseph Bahr, a nearby homeowner who said he has watched water trucks fill large tanks from a fire hydrant near the construction site for more than two years.

Hundreds and hundreds of trucks every day," Bahr said. "Theyve been up here for two years."

Bahr, who has lived in Southern Highlands for more than two decades, said he is concerned about the amount of water being used during construction while residents are encouraged to conserve.

Were being told to water two days a week, three days a week and to conserve water when I see these trucks pull up every day, and this is not recyclable water either. All this water is gone," Bahr said. "So I worry about our water use and our future here."

The Las Vegas Valley Water District confirmed Lennar has authorization to draw water from a fire hydrant and pays for the water it uses. The district said construction projects do not have a set maximum water-use limit, but their water use must be metered and follow applicable permit requirements.

According to the district, the development used 2.5 million gallons in 2024, 19 million gallons in 2025, and 8 million gallons so far in 2026.

The district said the 2025 total was not typical for a housing development because the project required extensive blasting and earth movement, increasing the need for water to control dust.

Hydrant meter permits for construction sites must be renewed every 90 days, and district field teams monitor activity throughout the valley. The district estimates construction water accounts for about 1% of the communitys total water use.

Bahr said he is not opposed to new homes being built but wants more transparency about water consumption as Southern Nevada continues to face concerns about its water supply.

Every day there's something about Lake Mead and how were losing water and how there's less water," Bahr said. "Any amount is not insignificant."