Guide · Southern Nevada pool and water rulesGuide · Southern Nevada water rules
The valley’s
water rules.The valley’s
water rules.
Pool size, fountains, draining, deck washing and misters: what the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Las Vegas Valley Water District ask of the properties you manage, each rule with its source.
Pool size, fountains, draining, washing and misters: what the valley’s water agencies ask of the properties you manage, with sources.
01The rules
The rules on one sheet.
From the valley’s two water agencies: the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City write their own water-waste ordinances, so check yours.
- Pool size
600 sq ft cap: new single-family pools (LVVWD).Water District: new pools and spas at single-family properties, no more than 600 square feet of surface area per property.
- Fountains
New commercial fountains prohibited (SNWA).SNWA: new fountains and water features for commercial use are prohibited, including water the property recycles itself.
- Draining
To the sanitary sewer, where it is available.To the sanitary sewer where it is available; never a street, sidewalk or storm drain.
- Washing
Decks and equipment: to the sewer, or contained.Decks, surfaces and equipment: washed only to the sanitary sewer by approved methods, or contained on site.
- Misters
Commercial comfort misting: May to August (LVVWD).
- Waste fees
From $40 to $5,000 for repeats, by provider.
Who the rules reach
Houses
The Water District’s 600-square-foot limit: new pools and spas at single-family properties only.
Communities
Outside that limit under the Water District’s rule; elsewhere, check the local code. A new fountain at the gate is commercial use, and SNWA prohibits it.
Resorts
On Water District water, comfort misting runs May through August, and a fountain or water feature must sit entirely indoors.
Everyone
Water that sprays or flows off the property is water waste, and pool drainage goes to the sanitary sewer.
02Why
Most of it is the sun.
SNWA puts the average in-ground pool’s loss at 48.6 gallons per square foot a year, and says a cover cuts evaporation by 90 percent. The 600-square-foot limit was written against that loss, aimed at the largest quarter of new pools, and SNWA says the local jurisdictions approved it with their own rule and code changes.
SNWA writes its pool tips for private, residential pools, its 12-gallon-a-minute drain rate among them. At a community, apartment or hotel pool, read them as good practice. The fountain rule is different: it names commercial use outright.
Before a drain-down, find the sewer clean-out port. A property on septic asks its local jurisdiction first; SNWA says never to drain a pool into a septic tank.
Sources, read 11 October 2026
1 SNWA, Pools and spas: snwa.com/landscapes/pools-and-spas
2 SNWA, Laws and ordinances: snwa.com/conservation/understand-laws-ordinances
3 SNWA, Water waste: snwa.com/conservation/water-waste
4 Las Vegas Valley Water District, Conservation measures: lvvwd.com/conservation/measures
5 Local water-waste ordinances, as SNWA lists them: Clark County 24.30 and 24.34, Las Vegas 14.08, Henderson 14.14.020, North Las Vegas 13.08, Boulder City 9-8-17
03Questions
Asked by property managers
Does the 600-square-foot limit apply to our HOA pool?
Not under the Water District’s rule, which covers only new pools and spas at single-family residential properties. SNWA says local jurisdictions adopted the limit with their own rule and code changes, so outside the Water District, check your city’s code.
Can the community add a fountain at the entrance?
Under SNWA’s rule, on water from any SNWA member agency, new fountains and water features for commercial use are prohibited, including water the property recycles itself. SNWA’s exemptions: privately-owned water rights; indoor features, or most of the water indoors or underground; recreational water parks; and features that sustain valuable aquatic animals managed there before the drought declaration. On Water District water, the District’s own page says it this way: anything beyond a 10-square-foot feature at a single-family home is prohibited unless it is entirely indoors.
Where does the water go when a pool is drained?
To the sanitary sewer, through the sewer clean-out port, when the public sewer is available. A street, sidewalk or storm drain is a violation. SNWA recommends 12 gallons a minute at most; a safe rate may be less.
Can we hose down the pool deck?
Only if the water goes to the sanitary sewer through approved methods or stays on site, under the Water District’s rule on washing surfaces and equipment.
What does water waste cost?
From $40 up to $5,000 for repeat violations, depending on the provider’s service rules and ordinances. Investigators have to see the waste in progress.
The level keeps dropping. Should we drain and refill?
Ask us to check whether it is a leak before you drain: our leak detection is there to address water loss early. Leak detection
Losing water? Rule out a leak.
Leak detection addresses water loss early. Call, or send a few details about the pool and the property.