During his testimony in support of Senate Bill 222 in front of the state legislature in 2007, Nye County Hydrologist Tom Buqo outlined several possible goals of the Nye County Water District.

Buqo sees the district working in partnership with the Southern Nevada Water Authority -- which was created using the same type of legislation -- but he vowed the SNWA will have its limits. There is, in Buqo's words, "not a chance" it will get Pahrump or Amargosa Valley's water.

While Pahrump has a wellhead protection program, the new district board could examine the actions of 31 water supply districts for restaurants, recreational vehicle parks and other businesses in Pahrump, and weigh those against the interests of the three privately owned utilitlies, Buqo said.

In light of a declining water table, state engineer Tracy Taylor recently admitted it's not a question of if water would have to be imported to Pahrump but when, he said.

Buqo said there are almost 11,000 domestic water wells in Nye County, more than are found in any other county in the state.

Buqo concluded:

"We see this district as an umbrella organization that will be able to work to the benefit of all the systems and all the operators and all the water users in Nye County to work with other organizations, to work with the state, to negotiate with the federal government, and also to work with the Southern Nevada Water Authority in making sure the county has a guaranteed supply of potable water to take care of the future economic well-being of the county."

Attorneys for Utilities Inc. of Central Nevada endorsed an amendment that required a supermajority of the water board to exercise powers of eminent domain which may be needed to acquire property or water rights necessary to provide adequate water service.

The board will have the ability to create assessment districts to extend mains, improve distribution systems and acquire presently operating private water companies.

Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, R-Henderson, was surprised the Pahrump area, with over 80 percent of the county's population, would have only three of the seven seats on the board.

"People in the north county don't want to see water transported to Pahrump any more than they want to see it go to Las Vegas," Buqo replied. "We had to reach consensus among the rural consensus vs. the Pahrump concerns, political concerns vs. the technical concerns and so on."

"We would hope there would be a long-term partnership. But they're not getting a drop out of Pahrump or Amargosa," Buqo said of the SNWA.

The disrict is allowed to enter into any acts with any district of any kind, public or private corporation, association or firm for the transfer or delivery of water.

The water board has the ability to store water in reservoirs, import water, reclaim water, acquire water and water rights. Board members will be empowered to restrict the use of water during a drought emergency or a water shortage.

Buqo told legislators he is interested in working with the U.S. Department of Energy on water supply systems at the sprawling Nevada Test Site. He also expressed concern over communities like Ione, where "the residents of that town are held captive" by one water operator.

Assemblyman James Settlemeyer, R-Gardnerville, applauded Nye County officials for their forward thinking by setting up the water board in a county with 40 water basins that is larger than some states.