NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Nearly all of its neighbors thought a water reclamation facility in North Las Vegas was of waste a money. But that didn't stop city leaders from spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build it -- an investment that some fear may never pay off.
The North Las Vegas City Council approved the water reclamation facility back in 2004 to ultimately reduce the city's wastewater treatment costs. Though now essentially complete, the plant stands idle.
Media releases for the reclamation facility tout its state of the art technology, modern automation and stringent treatment requirements -- features highlighted by acting Utilities Director Reed Scheppman during a recent visit to the plant. Yet all of that innovation has yet to resolve the one issue stalling the project -- where to flush the sewage once it's treated.
During an interview last March, North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Anita Wood said the city had all the permits needed for the daily discharge of 25 million gallons of treated water to the Sloan Channel. Planning documents related to the water reclamation facility list the channel as a possible option for the water. But five days later, apparently to Wood's surprise, the Clark County Commission blocked the plan, rejecting North Las Vegas' use of the channel in exchange for $50,000 a year in maintenance fees.
Commissioner Tom Collins, whose constituents live near Sloan Channel, is critical of the project.
"Their response has been, 'You give to us and we ain't got nothing to give.' It's been a one way deal so it's their problem," he said.
Instead, Collins proposes a regional pipeline similar to the project long planned by North Las Vegas to carry its effluent to Lake Mead.
But, funding for the pipeline from the Clean Water Coalition dried up last year, leaving North Las Vegas holding a $40 million bag.
Only half-joking, Collins offers this funding solution, "The Losee land and the gym would pay for the pipe. Oh my goodness, what a startling revelation."
The city spent more than $16 million on the Losee land, acreage initially selected for the facility and then abandoned in favor of the current site near Nellis Air Force Base. Another $25 million went to the gym currently under construction on the base as part of its lease agreement with the Air Force.
These expenses on top of design and construction contribute to the water reclamation facility's more than $315 million price tag.
"Why would you do something like that so impractically? It doesn't make sense, but it's done," said Collins.
To secure its investment, the city is spending more money -- $10,000 in the last two months -- for former Senator Richard Bryan to lobby on its behalf.
At a recent commission meeting, Bryan explained North Las Vegas can't pay the debt service on the state of the art facility unless it opens.
"We have a situation where the city literally has a financial gun at its head," he said. "That's where I am -- can we get something on track to get this thing worked out?"
The county and the city are now working to reach some sort of agreement. Given what's at stake - hundreds of millions of dollars of public money - a deal appears likely. The animosity between both sides, however, is palpable.
North Las Vegas city leaders declined the I-Team's request for an interview, citing those discussions. It seems no one there wants to do anything that might further jeopardize this project.
