A view through the WATER glass

When is a glass of water more than a glass of water?  When it is provided at a restaurant and never consumed.
Believe it or not, one glass of drinking water can take up to three gallons of water to produce. How, you ask? One glass of water includes the water in the glass, the ice, the washing and rinsing of the glass and the water consumed by the  machine that produced the ice. It all adds up.
You and our area restaurants can make a difference. It’s simple: Only order water when you intend to drink it. If you normally sip sodas, iced tea or coffee during your meal, ask that only those beverages be served.
And never feel miffed if your server doesn’t automatically bring water to your table. In many cases, your favorite restaurant already is looking out for water conservation and is participating in the Water Upon Request program.
The Water Upon Request program is a partnership between the Nevada Restaurant Association, Water Conservation Coalition and Southern Nevada Water Authority. More than 250 restaurants are signed up. Participating restaurants agree to only serve water when it is requested by a customer. It saves the restaurant water, time and money, and helps our community reduce water waste.
The Water Upon Request program provides participating restaurants with menu stickers to identify their support of the program and water conservation. Look for the sticker, only order water when you really want it and let participating restaurants know how much you appreciate their efforts.
Glass by glass, our desert community can help save water and become a more water-efficient place to live.