WaterSmart Innovations 2016: Tours

Technical Tours

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Showcasing some of Southern Nevada's more prominent water-efficiency practices and water resources, WaterSmart Innovations invites conference attendees to participate in technical tours Friday, October 7.

Springs Preserve tour is $25 and all others are $35 per registered WSI 2016 participant. Tours will depart from the South Point Hotel and Conference Center. We recommend you wear comfortable clothing and shoes (no flip-flops, please).

Due to security measures, all tour participants will be required to present a valid photo ID (i.e. driver's license or current passport) along with their ticket as they board the bus. On-site facility personnel may also ask to see your photo ID.

If you have previously registered for the conference, you can go back to the registration site and change your registration to add a tour. If you have a guest that is not attending the conference, but would like to purchase a tour ticket, they can register by going to the conference registration section and register as a guest or Expo only to register for the tours.

The number of participants is limited for each of these popular facility tours, so register early. Registration opens May 2, 2016.

Mega-Resort Efficiency Tour

Friday, October 7, 9:45 am - 1:30 pm

Available: 24, Used: 25, Waitlist: 13

Located on the legendary Las Vegas Strip, The Palazzo Resort is part of a master-planned development which combines The Palazzo and the Sands Expo and Convention Center to form the largest LEED-rated green building on the planet. Join us on a "behind-the-curtain" tour for a look at The Palazzo, with visits to the hotel Atrium, a luxury suite completed with energy efficient lighting and low water-use fixtures, the kitchen, recycling center and the innovative cooling system which saves 50 million gallons water a year. Learn how Las Vegas' gigantic luxury resorts capitalize on scale and know-how to be more efficient on a per-room basis than a typical chain hotel. Check in at 9:45 a.m.; depart at 10 a.m.; return to hotel by 1:30 p.m.

Springs Preserve

Friday, October 7, 11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Available: 28, Used: 28, Waitlist: 4

Green isn't just a color, it's a way of life. The 180-acre Springs Preserve is a world-class center for sustainable living. This tour highlights sustainable technologies that make the Springs Preserve the largest Platinum LEED rated commercial building in the Southwest. Structures include innovative construction techniques such as rammed earth and hay bales. A constructed wetland captures and treats all wastewater onsite, then reuses the treated water to flush toilets. Eight acres of beautiful desert gardens highlight opportunities for responsible use of landscape water. This tour includes complimentary lunch at the Springs Preserve Divine Cafe, with a gorgeous overlook view of the facility and the Las Vegas Strip in the distance. Check in by 11:30 a.m., depart at 11:45 a.m.; return to hotel by 5 p.m.

Las Vegas Wetlands Park

Friday, October 7, 11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Available: 22, Used: 20, Waitlist: 4

The largest oasis of green in the Las Vegas Valley isn't a golf course or a park, it's the Las Vegas Wetlands Park. This historic drainage has been transformed over the last two decades through a collaborative effort involving nearly 30 agencies and thousands of community volunteers. With an average flow of about 200 million gallons per day, most of which is discharge from the valley's four wastewater treatment plants, this waterway was once a heavily-eroded channel dominated by invasive salt cedar and littered with illegal dump sites. Today, the Wetlands is a natural preserve teeming with native wildlife. In addition to the visible ecological benefits, the wetlands perform an important role in filtering and polishing water before it reaches the Colorado River. This waterway is a vital link in a cycle that allows Las Vegas to bolster our water supply by 70 percent through reuse, while improving the watershed, providing effective wildlife habitat and creating new recreational opportunities. Comfortable, sensible footwear is a must. Sunscreen and water will be provided. And don't forget your camera, you never know what surprises nature will offer up! Tour does not include lunch, please eat before departure or you can bring your lunch to eat on the bus. Check in at 11:30 p.m.; depart at 11:45 p.m.; return to hotel by 5 p.m.

Hoover Dam

Friday, October 7, 11:30 am - 5:00 pm

Available: 28, Used: 27, Waitlist: 22

Hoover Dam-built during the Great Depression to "tame" the Colorado River-still stands today as one of the world's engineering marvels. Our tour of this National Historic Landmark will include viewing the dam's huge penstocks and power plant generators, as well as rarely seen inspection galleries-tunnels that still bear inspection markings written on the walls from decades past. You'll see first-hand the impacts of drought upon North America's largest man-made reservoir, Lake Mead. Tour does not include lunch, please eat before departure or you can bring your lunch to eat on the bus. Water will be provided. Check in at 11:30 a.m.; depart at 11:45 a.m.; return to hotel by 5 p.m.