Mark Twain is famously quoted as saying: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” One gets a sense of what he meant when trying to make sense of our water use in Southern Nevada and how it fits into the region.

In the past month, we’ve seen two numbers that supposedly account for how much water residents use in a day. One said 75 gallons. The other said 125. Which is it? One number suggests we’re doing really well when it comes to conservation. The other number suggests we have a lot of work to do.

I don’t mean to disparage the work of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. It has done a tremendous job in helping educate consumers about how to eliminate water waste. We’re a shining example to the Southwest, but to keep the momentum going, we need to understand how much we use and how that fits into context with our regional neighbors.

The need for more clarity and simplicity in the water debate is one reason I support the 90-by-20 water campaign. At a time when folks throw a lot of numbers out there, the effort is designed to set one clear, regional benchmark that everyone can use and understand.

By the 90-by-20 measure, Southern Nevada is closer to 125. That is nothing to sneeze at, but it shows we have some work to do.

The author is the executive director of the Nevada Conservation League.