- The bill would transfer about 257 federal acres to a Southern Nevada wastewater district.
- The land sits beneath two of the district’s major wastewater facilities.
- The property would have to be used for public purposes.
- The district would pay the administrative and surveying costs of the transfer.
- The land would revert to the federal government if it were no longer used for public purposes.
Friday, September 4, 2026 — Wastewater facilities serving hundreds of thousands of Southern Nevada customers could gain more flexibility to modernize and adapt under legislation introduced in Congress on September 3.
Nevada Rep. Dina Titus introduced the Southern Nevada Wastewater Infrastructure Lands Act
, which would transfer federal land to the Clark County Water Reclamation District.
The federal land is beneath two of the district’s wastewater facilities, the Flamingo Water Resource Center and Desert Breeze Center.
Titus’ office said the current federal land arrangement restricts how the facilities can be operated, modernized and repurposed as wastewater and infrastructure needs change.
About 257 Acres Would Be Transferred.
The legislation defines the property as approximately 257 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The land is identified on a Bureau of Land Management map dated May 19, 2026.
Under the bill, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, would be required to transfer the federal government’s interest in the property to the Clark County Water Reclamation District.
The transfer would occur no later than 180 days after the district submitted a request.
The legislation says the land would be conveyed without payment for the land itself. However, the district would be responsible for administrative expenses associated with the transfer, including land surveys.
Land Would Remain for Public Purposes.
The transferred property would have to be used for public purposes.
Those uses could include the construction, operation, and management of infrastructure needed to provide wastewater services.
The bill also contains an important safeguard regarding the property’s future use. If any transferred parcel ceased to be used for public purposes, it would revert to the United States.
The Secretary of the Interior would prepare maps and legal descriptions of the parcels. The Secretary could correct minor errors in those documents, which would then be kept available for public inspection at the appropriate Bureau of Land Management offices.
District Serves Residents and Visitors.
Titus said the legislation would give the Clark County Water Reclamation District more flexibility at the Flamingo and Desert Breeze facilities.
“By giving the Clark County Water Reclamation District flexibility to adapt the sites of the Flamingo Water Resource and Desert Breeze Centers, I am ensuring they are able to continue providing reliable wastewater services to the more than 265,000 customers and 40 million annual visitors who depend on them,” Titus said.
She also said she helped secure more than $1.1 million in 2026 for the Flamingo Water Resource Center to manage power outages and prevent wastewater incursions.
Clark County Water Reclamation District General Manager Tom Minwegen said the legislation would help the district maintain essential infrastructure.
“This legislation helps enhance reliability of the operations at our facilities and enables us to responsibly plan for the future while continuing to provide essential wastewater services to the residents, businesses, and visitors who depend on them every day,” Minwegen said.
The Southern Nevada Wastewater Infrastructure Lands Act must move through Congress before the proposed land transfer can take effect.
Pictured: The Clark County Water Reclamation District‘s service area map, from the District’s website.
