The Las Vegas strip likes to pretend it’s flush in all manner of luxuries, including water — even though Lake Mead, which provides the city with water, could disappear within the next decade. Running a giant fountain or indoor canal in the middle of the desert is the hydrological equivalent of flashing fat stacks of cash. But while casinos aren't exactly down with water conservation (that’s for poor people!), the Las Vegas government is. The city nixed grassy lawns, empowered water waste enforcers, and made water really, really expensive for anyone who uses more than they need for basic life necessities. As CNN reports, it's working: average per capita water consumption has gone down by 30 percent in the past 10 years, even as the 22-million-gallon musical fountain at the Bellagio continues to flow.
