Bellagio fountains and pool water to be computer-monitored in real time

The company that owns one of Las Vegas’ most famous water shows has installed a new solution to monitor water usage.

MGM Resorts International’s Bellagio resort has partnered with Apana, a Washington-based technology and services company that helps commercial and industrial businesses manage water. The resort installed an “internet of things” solution at the premises that will collect data on water usage and alert the company in real time of any problems, such as a leak.

The system will monitor several areas where there may be opportunities to increase water efficiency, such as cooling towers, pools and the Bellagio fountains.

This is the first time Apana has installed this service at a Strip resort.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to deploy a technology that’s able to produce high-res data in regard to how water is used, where it’s used and in what amount,” said Bronson Mack, spokesman for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which worked in partnership with public-private nonprofit group WaterStart to connect MGM with Apana.

“These water systems are very complex, so any sort of technology that can give additional insights and assist with operations while increasing efficiency, it’s a win-win for the business,” he said.

According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s website, resorts in Southern Nevada consume only one-tenth of 1 percent of water available in Nevada but employ 22 percent of the state’s workforce.

“There’s been so much done up and down the Strip already to reduce how much water is used there,” said Nate Allen, executive director of WaterStart. “For us to get to the next level, we need to deploy technology like this. … I think it speaks volumes that the largest employer in the state is investing in this innovation.”

Tom Doll, president of Apana, said this system aims to bring visibility and transparency to a company’s internal water infrastructure.

“There’s no waiting for a water bill that’s 30 or 60 days old” to discover an issue, Doll said. “The crux of what we do … is positioning data into actionable information. That’s what leads to long-term behavior impacts that help us all be able to be better stewards of a resource we are running out of at a global scale.”

Doll said the system can help Las Vegas and resorts around the world better understand their infrastructure to manage water usage, in turn helping the community as a whole.

“The more you reserve or save, the greater capacity you build for those around you,” Doll said.

And those efforts can be multiplied if other companies see the benefits of this technology, Allen said.

“Being able to prove the value of new technology, it brings credibility” to these conservation efforts, Allen said. “Other folks will follow suit.”