NOAH ADAMS, host:
After we read the drought study news this morning, we called around the Southwest for reaction. We found a car wash in Dallas, Texas. Mel Brose(ph) has run the White Rock Car Bath for 50 years. He says, in the long term, the drought could be good for his business.
Mr. MEL BROSE (Operator, White Rock Car Bath): Because a lot of people won't wash their car in the driveway, and they're real attuned to saving water and things like that. And in a car wash, we can wash a car using less water than the man can, you know, wash it in his driveway.
ADAMS: Several years back, the city of Dallas imposed water restrictions on its residents. So, for example, during the summertime, people can't water their lawns from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 PM, and some car washes have installed water conservation devices. Mel Brose says that would be too expensive for his business.
Mr. BROSE: We started 50 years ago, and at that time, they didn't offer a reclaimed system. And to put it in in our car wash now would be cost prohibitive.
Mr. ROBERT CULLICK (Spokesman, Lower Colorado River Authority): This is Robert Cullick, spokesman for the Lower Colorado River Authority.
CHADWICK: His organization supplies water to Central Texas, and it's launched a campaign called Water IQ. It uses TV ads and billboards, even signs at gas stations, trying to tell Texans about where their water comes from and how little of it there may be.
For instance, one ad pictures a dry lump of meat with the following slogan.
Mr. COHEN: This meatloaf is not the only thing that's parched and burned this summer.
ADAMS: From Texas to Utah now, we talked to Jim Ekker there. He's president of a cattleman's association in the state. He has a registered herd of cattle on his private land. He lives in Vernon, Utah. That's 70 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, and we asked him about the drought and how it could affect his business.
Mr. JIM EKKER (President, Utah Cattlemen's Association): Obviously, the water's a big portion of that for the crops we grow and for the pasture and stuff for the livestock. And so anytime - we live in a pretty dry area as it is, and so when it's forecast and we see that we don't have the precip there, why we're obviously concerned.
CHADWICK: That part of the country's already facing water supply issues. Western Utah, where Jim Ekker lives, shares some of its water with Nevada. And Mr. Ekker not happy that the Southern Nevada Water Association plans to pull more water out of aquifers in his state to supply the city of Las Vegas.
Mr. EKKER: I understand the growth. We have the growth here in Utah everywhere, too, and the demands for water just are increasing daily. And, you know, we obviously don't want to see more go out of our state, and it would affect ranchers in western Utah, and I wouldn't want to see that, but I'm sure it's going to.
CHADWICK: Voices from the Southwest on the drought. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.