Henderson, NV

WaterNow Alliance worked with Henderson to develop a comprehensive Non-Residential Water Utility Scorecard prototype. The scorecard considers factors such as the sustainability of the business, the number of people it will employ, the average wage, and the capital investment into the community, and the anticipated consumptive use of water. It reflects learnings from informational interviews with Henderson staff and stakeholders, and a review of over 20 existing scorecards, to identify different approaches to assessing a company’s water footprint, economic impacts, equity considerations or some combination of these elements, as well as the operational considerations of administering a scorecard.

The scorecard prototype calculates a numeric score that encompasses the economic benefits and water use impacts of companies. It also summarizes additional considerations, including a prospective company’s ability to diversify the industries included in the local economy, and its use of practices, such as workforce training programs, diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and skills-based hiring, that support local residents in accessing and advancing in these jobs.

An implementation guide outlines the indicators and calculations used in the scorecard, and documents how it could be integrated into the City’s existing entitlement process. The project team also outlined potential updates to Henderson’s existing Sustainability Matrix Worksheet, a part of the City’s current development application process. These additions would integrate additional water use, economic impact, and economic equity categoriesinto the City’s review of an applicant’s sustainability.

WaterNow and Henderson are currently coordinating with Southern Nevada Water Authority, to incorporate the insights and learnings developed through this project into the creation of a similar regional effort, the Water Investment Rating Tool.