Not to be confused with Las Vegas, Nevada, the 13,000-person city in San Miguel County relies solely on the now contaminated Gallinas River, which is full of ash and debris after the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire. 

Las Vegas' water treatment facility typically uses chlorine to clean the water, but it becomes carcinogenic when mixed with carbon-infused water because of all the ash. 

"We need to get the carbon out of the water before we add disinfection," Las Vegas Utilities Director Maria Gilvarry recently told residents at a public meeting. 

We noted in late July (T-minus 50 days to no fresh water) that there was no immediate solution to fix the town's water woes. Time is running out to find new water sources. 

City officials are testing water in a nearby lake that could be their saving grace and buy the water-stricken town a few months. The tests take several days, and the hope is the water has less ash that would allow it to be run through the treatment facility. 

"Our fingers are crossed on that," Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo said, adding the tests "will determine the quality of water we're going to be sending to one of our reservoirs."