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tank and booster pum ping station will be installed; several new w ater transm ission mains ranging in size from 15 inches to 39 inches; and a system of 8-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch loops w ithin the existing system to strengthen the distribution system and to provide improved fire protection. 3. U nder the contract with Basic Management, Inc., the W ater D istrict may w ithdraw 5 million gallons daily from the Lake Mead line. W hen the D istrict constructs certain improvements in capacity, 13% mgd may be taken. The improvements to the existing supply system include the installation of new pumping equipment a t the Lake Mead intake. Two new pum ping stations will be constructed, one at the take-off point near Manganese, Inc. (3 miles northeast of H enderson), and one at a point about halfway between Henderson and Las Vegas. The construction of the boosting station near Manganese, Inc. will reduce the present static head on the existing 40-inch line, thereby providing additional boosting capacity at the existing pum ping station located 2% miles northw est of the Lake Mead intake. The D istrict plans to make these improvements to the Lake Mead supply system as soon as possible. The existing w ater intake facilities consist of six seven-stage deep well turbine pumps with 182-foot columns suspended into deep w ater from a steel cantilever structure located on Saddle Island in Lake Mead. These pumps have a capacity of approxim ately 30 mgd, and they boost w ater 2% miles to an existing reservoir at an elevation of 1400 feet. The lake surface may vary in elevation from 1229 to 1050 feet, causing the static head on the pump to range between 171 and 350 feet. It is proposed to replace the existing intake pumps with equipment of increased capacity in order to provide a total pumping capacity of at least 43% mgd. The existing pumps to be removed from the w ater intake facilities will be modified and installed in the new pum ping station to be constructed at the Las Vegas take-off near M anganese, Inc. These pumps will then boost w ater on to Henderson through the existing 40-inch pipeline. Additional electrical facilities will be required to take care of the increased pum ping load. The Colorado River Commission has agreed to obtain power for the D istrict for pum ping from Lake Mead at the best available rate. Power for the booster station northw est of W hitney will be purchased from the Southern Nevada Pow er Company. The existing booster station presently has six pumps with a capacity of about 30 mgd when five pumps are operating and boosts w ater to the Henderson term inal reservoirs at an elevation of 2035 feet, with a static head of 635 feet. U nder the proposed arrangem ent the existing booster pumps will pump w ater to a new 1% million gallon reservoir at the Las Vegas take-off at 1784 feet elevation, a static head of 384 feet, and will provide about 50 mgd w ith all pumps operating against the lower head. The new booster station at Las Vegas take-off near Manganese, Inc. will have a capacity of 30 mgd with five pumps operating. This station will be used to pump w ater from the proposed 1% mg reservoir into the existing 30 m g term inal reservoirs at Henderson. The new 1% m g reservoir also will be used as a supply reservoir for w ater that will flow by gravity through a new 36-inch pipeline to the final boosting station located northw est of W hitney. This final station (elevation 1750 feet) will pump w ater through a 30-inch pipeline to Las Vegas. W hen the rate of w ater consumption exceeds the combined capacities of the wells and the Lake Mead supply line, it will be necessary to install an additional line to Lake Mead. The M ontgomery report states, however, that the present local supply can be augmented considerably by more effective use. The drilling of a num ber of new wells is recommended, and seasonable adjustm ents in the proportion of Lake Mead to local w ater used in order to reduce losses from the underground storage. It is estimated th at the loss from underground storage due to upward leakage, deep-rooted plants, and evaporation is from 1,600 to 2,600 million gallons per year, and that a large part of this loss may be eliminated by the more flexible operation possible w ith the Lake Mead supply. The total potential daily supply should average about 38 million gallons a day. M ontgomery estimates present average daily consumption to be about 370 gallons per capita. Hence the supply will support a population in excess of 100,000 at present consumption rates. This population is reached in 1990, the term of the present bond issue, in the projections of population made by M ontgomery. If the population grows more rapidly than the projected amounts, the w ater supply m ight be made to serve a larger population than that indicated by present averages, if the high daily per capita consumption could be reduced correspondingly. In Phoenix and Tucson, which are largely metered, the production in gallons per capita per day in 1950 was 211 and 153, 9 * respectively. It would therefore appear probable that public education in w ater conservation and some general regulation and inspection would reduce the present consumption rate by a consider­able am ount w ith a consequent increase in the period over which the supply will remain adequate. The costs of the project are estimated by James M. M ontgomery as follows: Estim ated Cost of Proposed Im provements 30-million gallon reservoir in W est Las V egas.................. ........................................... $ 710,000 1%-million gallon reservoir at M anganese Ores............................................................ 85,000 Control building at M anganese Ores.-.:......... L j— ........— 53,500 Booster pumping station on U. S. H ighw ay 95....... ...................................................... 197,000 Pipeline from Manganese Ores to 30-million gallon reservoir.......... ....................... 1,661,500 Pipeline from Frem ont Street to 30-million gallon reservoir via Charleston B oulevard.-,-,-.-i*& --.--................ — ...........— - ............................. 292,000 Miscellaneous improvements to production facilities........... ........................................ 133,000 New w ater wellsULU:--............ ...................................................— 68,000 Improvements to increase capacity of 40-inch pipeline from Lake Mead to H enderson...................................................................................... 620,000 Miscellaneous additional transm ission pipelines.............................................................. 555,000 Miscellaneous additional improvements to distribution system ............ ..................... 632,000# T otal Estim ated Construction Cost................................................................ $5,007,000 Contingencies ..................... .......................................................... ....................................-yjL 262,000 Purchase of existing w ater system from Union Pacific Railroad.............................. 2,500,000* Acquisition of sites, rights-of-way, easements, etc.-.L..-,,,..U........... .......................... 50,000 T otal Acquisition and Construction Costs.................................................. $7,819,000 T otal incidental expenses, including return of loans from County, working capital, engineering, legal and miscellaneous................... ........ 535,000 T otal Estim ated Cost of Proposed Im provem ents.................................... $8,354,000 Cash reserve required to cover estimated bond interest during construction and for six months thereafter................................................ 346,000 Total Am ount of Proposed Bond Issue...................................................... $8,700,000 § Meter installations, if made, can be paid from this sum. * Agreed purchase price; may be raised or lowered due to adjustments provided by contract. The M ontgomery engineering report estimates that the D istrict will sell w ater to the popula­tion inside the city of Las Vegas plus an outside population equal to 10 per cent of the Las Vegas population. The City of N orth Las Vegas has its own w ater system. It is expected th at the City of N orth Las Vegas may purchase some w ater wholesale from the District. The present N orth Las Vegas supply is from wells. Henderson obtains its w ater from the existing Lake Mead pipeline, and Nellis Air Force Base has its own well supply. The unincorporated residential areas rely on wells, and it is anticipated th at some of the area near the pipelines will purchase w ater from the D istrict. Reports of the State Engineer of Nevada indicate th at 790 deep wells and some 850 shallow wells have been drilled in the Las Vegas Valley. The hotels and motels of the “Strip” are large users of w ater and have their own wells, but some have inadequate wells and are expected to purchase w ater fr0m the District. Private pumping is done under perm it by the State Engineer, who has the authority to regulate the use of w ater and to prevent its waste. T he Enabling Act of the Nevada Legislature under which the Las Vegas Valley W ater D istrict was formed specifically provides th at it is the intent of the law to have all expenses, including bond interest and redemption, paid from revenues. Consequently, although the bonds will be general obligations backed by the full faith, credit and resources of the District, the Board of Directors is under statutory obligation (so long as the rates are reasonable) to maintain water rates at a level th at will provide sufficient revenue to meet maintenance and operation costs, bond interest and principal payments and all other charges, w ithout the necessity of a tax levy. 10