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Las Vegas tteview Journal-September 10, 1950 % WATER PROBLEM AIRED—Shown above are members of the Vegas Valley Water district as they met Friday with A. M. Smith, state engineer, right, for an informal discussion of prob- h ipm» facing the water district. From left to right: Harry Miller g and Thomas Campbell, board members, Colonel H. F. Clark, who is studying the water situation here for the hoard, and Smith. ? * ? ? ? ? ? ? Hiked Rates, Meters Said 1 Solution to Water Problem “If Las Vegas is to continue to grow and have sufficient water to take care of the needs of this expanded population, it will be necessary to increase the water fates two or three times their prssent level and install meters on all lines ” This was the startling state ment made Friday afternoon be fore the Las Vegas valley water district by Thomas Campbell, member of the water district board. The district, in order to furnish adequate water for the city, must take over the water facilities of the area and install new facili­ties. To do this, the people of Las Vegas must vote for the selling of between four and six million dollars in bonds to cover the price of the facilities and costs of installing transmissions, he said. In explaining the present water situation, A. M. Smith, state engineer, pointed out that al­though the public service com­mission could force the Las Ve­gas Land and Water company to increase its facilities and fur­nish more water to the users of this..area, it would be a foolish thing to do unless water, from Lake Mead was assured In the Campbell told ine members that even though every effort isi being made, the water district Icould not possibly do anything ;about the situation for at least 16 months. “ We must struggle through at least one more summer under the present set-up,” he said. | At a subsequent meeting Fri-iday night, the Las Vegas Land and Water company was raked lover the coals as the water dis­trict board, and the city and ! county commissioners agreed to band together to force the water company to provide the com­munity with additional water im­mediately. The public service commission already has set September 21 as the date on which the water com­pany shall appear and show cause why adequate water can­not be supplied to the city. near future. The meeting was an informal discussion session between mem­bers of the seven-man water dis­trict board, Smith, A- J. Shaver, secretary of the Colorado river commission, and other commis-siofl members, concerning the problems facing the water dis­trict in its efforts to supply an abundance of water to the area.