Newspaper clipping, City lifts ban on daytime watering for 15-Day period, Las Vegas Sun, July 25, 1950

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1950. Restrictions against daytime watering of lawns in the city were lifted at midnight last night, as the board of city commissioners directed the police department to halt en-forcement of that section of the water conservation ordi-nance for the next 15 days. The action taken was planned last week, and re-ported accurately in the Morning Sun Saturday. Con-fusion was created in the minds of the public, however, when an afternoon paper published a news story that the ban would not be lifted for at least two weeks. The action was taken by the city board on the recommenda-tion of a committee composed of City Commissioners Wendell Bunker and Bob Moore, and five Las Vegas residents who were selected from the throng of protesting citizens who attended an indignation meeting on the low water pressure last week. Harry Miller, spokesman for the committee, told the city com-mission it had been decided to recommend a trial period of vol-untary conservation of water. He pointed out if all residents confine their watering to light sprinkling, there will be no need for an enforced ban. Miller told the commissioners it has been his observation that Nevadans will cooperate in such a project more readily on a vol-untary basis than if compelled. "It's when you tell the people of Nevada they can't do some-thing that they go ahead and do it," Miller observed. The committee asked citizens to keep their eyes open for water wastage in their neighborhoods, and if they observe such a vio-lation, either bring the violator in line by personal appeal, or if that fails, call the police. Regarding prospects for more water in future years, Miller spoke to the commissioners as former president of the Las Vegas Valley Water District board of directors. He said it is possible that water from Hen-derson might be available through a water line to Las Vegas as early as the middle of next summer. He stated that the district must hold a bond election, probably in November, and conclude current negotiations with the Union Pacific Railroad to purchase Las Vegas city water system. The railroad, Miller said, is now at work on an inventory of assets, in order that a fair can be set on the utility. Miller detailed progress of ne-gotiations between directors of the district and the Colorado River Commission for 10,000,000 gallons of water daily, which would be piped into Las Vegas from the Basic Magnesium plant. He also said the district is at-tempting to purchase the pump-ing and pipeline system which brings Lake Mead water to Hen-derson, and said it may be pos-sible to acquire it for one dollar. Commissioner Bunker said he considered Miller's ideas about water from Henderson next sum-mer "highly optimistic," and re-marked that if the water district can realize this within two or three years, it will be a consider-able accomplishment. Miller was asked what effect it would have on the water dis-trict's plans if the city were to purchase the Las Vegas Land and Water Co., and he stated such a deal would wreck the en-tire district program, since a vital factor in the plan is revenue from water users in Las Vegas. After the commissioners agreed to suspend enforcement of the city ordinance provision covering daytime sprinkling, City Engi-neer W. C. Anderson was di-rected to keep a close check on the water company during the next 15 days to ascertain that sufficient water is being supplied. A motion was passed to re-quest the Nevada Public Service Commission to send a represen-tative to Las Vegas at once to investigate all phases of the water shortage, and force the Union Pacific to provide addi-tional facilities.