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Hfig HEW WATER SCHEDUIS - las Vegas Desert San 9-3-31 Users of Water Win as Increase In Rates Denied jf Public Service Commission Orders Las Vegas I Company to Maintain Old Schedule jOf Charges for Supply Citizens of Las Vegas have won a signal ^cWo^rthSI Las Vegas Land and Water Comupany I proposed increase in local water rates- The c -N | Service Commission in. a'decision which'reached .fere ye. - 1 day holds-that-the proposed rates were excessive .and hdefo*-. I nitelv 'fixed the new schedule which npproximatelj ? the J | same- as at present charged. QKmnUmessv chair- i The decision was signed by J. r. bnaugnpessy, cnai|. j man: George W. Mhlone and H. R. Martin, of the Public ^ I Service Commission, and Secretary Lee S. Scott. i1 On 'KI^rGH"7^a^yiS^nasrVegas.. j| Lane and Water Company filed 1 wjtir tiie,;y.ommiBsion a schedule‘of 7 rates to become effective- on; June, j 1- Notice of. this schedule-was re- i leased for publication at the-.timg, I It iuaterisiHy increased the rates, I then in effect. Hearing: was Held I A citizens: committee \yas immeU 1 j dately formed- with . AUdiney^ ,J t'Schur as chairman. Several meet- I ings were, a which Roger i&i' I ley, R, F. Minter, b. J. Harvey,.-x: j'P. Smith, .Fred J• George, judge f Pranh M: -Ryan and others took I Pgrt. It was' finally decided to 'ih-' ?j vite the Public Servi^ Commission j to this city for a piibhe hearing1; ; The commission responded and as j a result, the new ashcdulddf-'rates !' was automatically suspended! {or'"IT | period of 30 days; The., commission arri ved Tierc.on j-May 38 and.two days were occupied ..-with testimony taking. -'The appeal - Lances for the.-water company were-: j T. R. MpNamee, Leo A: McNamee; | attorneys; P. Drew, bridge engi- | neer for the L, A. & b, L: R. r I Brungs, chipf->elerk; R. I'D. Perkins, valuation engineer; W. R. Bracken, vice' -president of the water company, and C. T. Connol-; tussistant itigent' of the water I In view of the fact'that it was j f ound impossible to complete an in­vestigation^ within the original sus- ] pension limit, it was advanefed ‘from [time to time Until. Sept. 1. New Rate Schedule . j j , The new rates fixed by the com- | mission follows:.1 Proposed New r rate ’ rate j Apartment house s— I each ' apartment with- tobah • or bath....... $2.00 $1.50 , Each apartment, bath I .. . ...ev .ncluded I j )y.J a^nUes oril v r. j; where all apartments j are servgd from one service line and the- IH apartment house own- ; er assumes .payment I, for all Services)............ 2.5:0 2.00 I Bakery, and •; contep- , I tipnary ...........'2.00 2.Q0 chairs 3.00 .50 1 .75 1.00 . .50 2.00 2,00. 11 Barber- shop—2 . oh less ................ Each additional chair Bath tubs and shower baths—public, in' ho­tels, lodging of room­ing houses, public building s, barb er shops, hospitals, apartment houses, bungalow or cabin clubs, service stations, ; etc., i For the first tub or . shower .......................... 1 Bungalow'' courts—each 1 single house or cabin i without bath of toilet > Each single house: or | cabin: -with bat or to.i- 1 let f J • Blacksmith 'shop, one | forge I Each additionaT forge;., [Brick manufacturers j and yards, whether , j manufactured f to m | clay, cement, gypsum, I, adobe or other mate­s' rial—per 1,000 bricks I; per month ......... ' .20 [ Batcher shops .... j bandy manufacturers |Churches: .... Free j Cooling water for re- I 'frigerating machine— I half ton machine or || less- |f........................ | Between half ton and | For each ton and over !’ one ton ................. County courthouse and grounds .................... 8.33 31Ub. rooms . with bar but. no sleeping quar­ters, or dining room.... Concrete of ' c ement work, per cubic- yard.; Confectionary store- ... .. Confectionary store, and • candy or ice cream ‘actory combined ..... 4.00 Creamery .................. 2.00 Drug store • 2.00 Dyeing and : cleaning shops ......... 2.00 [FqUfitains with''.jet-.'3.50 Foundries .....'........... 12.50 Garage—public .............2.00 With wash rack ..... 4.00 Halls—public, social and dancing ................. 1.00 | Hospitals, 10 rooms or loss. .......................... Each a’ddilionai room.. Hotel's, 1 o d g 1 h g 'o f rooming Houses—10 rooms or less __.... Each additional room.. Houses—private r e si - dehce or dwelling oc­cupied by one family, 2.50 .50 .75 2.00 1.00 2.50 1.50 1.00 .50 .10 2.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 2.00.. 2.50 1.00 1.00 8.33 .00 5.00 .04 2.00 928.05 of Which $19,524.42 had been! retired since 1911 through deprecia­tion. Measurement of water flowing from alb sources was taken On Feb­ruary 10, last, and was found to be 9,698 cubic feet per second, or ap­proximately 6,280,000 gallons per, day. Water Value Placed The company placed a value on these water rights of $30,000 per cubic .loot per second,: or $750 per miner’s inch. It was therefore claimed in the water company’s ap­plication for an increase in rates that $200,475 was a fair valuation of this water right based upon the flow of 6,682 cubic feet .per second. fn, the Public Service Commission’s decision . Judge Farrington is quoted in the Redo Light and Water case, in Whieh it was held that a water right value of $2,000 per cubic foot second based, upon the actual amount- being used and not the ; amount which had been appropriated ; which was claimed by the utility.! : Upon this basis the commission held that water at Las Vegas would not “have any greater value than that! devoted to public service in Reno and Sparks, and therefore placed the water right value at $6,000. In arriving at a fair value fori | rate making purposes the commis-, ; sion ruled that the sum of $72,000 j may be taken as conclusive. They 1 pointed out that the gross earnings for the year 1930 from domestic, commercial and industrial services i were $32,536.87. Based' on the con­sumption of 581,867,800 gallons of water furnished to 1,397 consumers • : in: 1930 the commission holds that [I, the operating expenses, depreciation'; or retirement expense;: and taxes 1 shpld not exceed the following: Rental on railroad facilities .........:.,....$14,455.75.. | Collections.... ............ 3,120.86 i; Maintenance .........,......... 2,455.95 . Supervision ....... 5,193.53 j1 Reserve for replacement, 2 per cent on $62,403.63.....:.. 1,248.07 . Taxes . ...........:............... 3,753.69 TOTAL ........ ......$30,227.83 Ip concluding its report the com- mission Sets forth that the proposed 1 increase of. from 25 to 50 per cent' over the present; rate's, are “unjust . and unreasonable” .and in lieu of| this, future rates shall not exceed' those set forth in the commission’s j order. 2.50 .20 2.50 .20 of 5 rooms or less ..... 2.001 1.50 Each additional room.. .15 .15 Bath tub or shower, ea. .25 .25 Toilet ..................... .25 .25 Each extra family ...... 1.00 .50 Water -for, w a t e r.i n g lawns and shrubbery, exclusive of truck gar­dens on ah area not to exceed 7,000 sq. ft.—for each additional 140 sq. ft. or fraction thereof over 7,00i) sq. ft.... .06 .02 Ice cream factory .. 2.00 2.00 Laundry—steam........... 30.00 30.00 Municipal buildings be­longing to thp City of Las Vegas , and grounds exclusive of, public parks .................- Bffices, baiiks, express office s,' professional, real estate', etc...... 1.00 .75 Office buildings, 10 rooms or less .. 2.00 2.00 Each: additional room.. .15 jpjt Photograph • gallery - ?2100 1.50 Plastering per square yard .................... .01 .01 Restaurants ..... 2.50 2.50 Schools on grounds oc­cupying one city blk. 10.00 10.00 On grounds occupying less than a city block.. 5.50 ? 5.50 Service stations not in­cluding hath arid toilet 2.00 1.50 Steam boiler for heat­ing offices 1.00 1.00 For power not over 50 h- P. ..................................... 5.00 5.00 | S w 1 m m i n g pools- or tanks with constant . flow -............... Special Contract | Tanks of 9,000 cubic ft. capacity or less, filled three tones a week.... 30.00 30.00 I Water from fire .plug’s. Free I Water for one public drinking fountain ...... Free Reductions. Made . , It will be seen from, the above I tabulation that there is a material I reduction: in ra,tes except in .a. few | instah'ces“: Since the Las Vegas Land and [Water Company began operations | m 1909 there have been two classes J of rates on file, flat and meter. The j meter rates, however, have never been placed in effect due to the I | burden of co$t - in; installing. Previous to 1922 the, water com- j pany, wHich is. a subsidiary of the| Bos Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad j company, of which the Union Pa-1 | cific is lessee obtained its water [supply from . two flowing springs. [At. that time.'it, appeared that the,, ! city would have a rapid growth due [ to the proposed construction of the Boulder, dam. Well and Reservoir In 1925 the water company drilled: a 12-inch Artesian well to a depth of j 635 feet from which it obtained an! i excellent flow of water. In 1928 a | . 2,500,000-gallon reinforced concrete |i reservoir was constructed. The well and reservoir cost approximately I ! $70,000. At ths Hearing it was brought out I that the physical valuation of the i property. had been placed at $31,-.