LAS VEGAS (AP) - Sin City may look like a lush water-waster as the state endures its fourth year of a severe drought but casino-resorts say its fountains and greenery are well-crafted illusions.
MGM Resorts International sustainability executive Chris Brophy told a panel of the Nevada Drought Forum on Friday the company saved 2 billion gallons of water since 2008 through a variety of conservation efforts. The company has 15 properties on the Las Vegas Strip.
He says the company's Bellagio fountain show and Cirque du Soleil's indoor water-show "O'' uses on-site well-water and the Aria resort's outdoor wall of water wastes less water than a residential pool.
Las Vegas area resorts use 7.6 percent of Southern Nevada's water. Nearly 60 percent of the state's water is used by single-family and multi-family homes.