US Senate passes bill for new Southern Nevada water pipeline, heads to Trump's desk

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that would clear the way for a new water pipeline to serve Southern Nevada, meaning the measure now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Senators on Thursday approved the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act. It previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in December.

The bill would allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to tunnel under the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area for a new pipeline.

It also adds nearly 9,300 acres to Sloan Canyon NCA.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, introduced the House version of the bill, while U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, introduced the Senate version.

Advocates say this would improve water reliability for the region and protect against potential outages and disruptions.

“Southern Nevada is the epicenter of the climate crisis with rising temperatures and dwindling water resources,” Titus said in a statement. “Our precious water supply must be protected. The Horizon Lateral pipeline strikes an important balance.”

Cortez Masto’s office says SNWA has one large water pipeline to serve about 40% of customers in the Las Vegas area, including the entire city of Henderson, and another pipeline is necessary to increase capacity.

“My bill allows SNWA to build this pipeline in a way that saves taxpayer dollars, minimizes disruptions to the City of Henderson and to our public lands, and protects the water supply for residents across the Las Vegas Valley,” the senator said in a statement.