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9. Levy and Collection of T axes: So far as possible, principal and interest on the bonds m ust be paid from revenues. However, it is the duty of the Board of Directors annually to provide for the levy of taxes, if necessary to supplement other income and revenues, to assure prom pt payment of principal and interest as they fall due (Sec. 11). Expense Estimates: For many years records of w ater withdrawals from the Las Vegas Valley ground w ater basin have been kept by the State Engineer of Nevada and the present and future w ater consumption in the Las Vegas Valley W ater D istrict has been the subject of studies by Greeley & H ansen in 1949, Ralph W . O ’Neill & James M. M ontgomery in 1951-52, James M. M ontgomery in 1954, and Black & Veatch in 1954. The per capita consumption of record, together w ith the anticipated population increases, form the basis for estim ating future w ater requirem ents and costs. W ATER CONSUMPTION — LAS VEGAS LAND AND W ATER COMPANY CITY OF LAS VEGAS Consumption in M illio n G allon s D aily Yearly Totals A verage M axim um Month Minim um Month M . G. Acre Feet 1940...................... :........... 1.... 3.33 5.75 0.99 1,217 3,736 1941..... ................ .................. 4.07 5.85 1.91 1,485 4,556 1942...................... .................. 3.99 6.44 2.64 1,458 4,475 1943...................... .................. 5.18 7.82 2.86 1,892 5,805 1944...................... .................. 5.90 9.50 3.09 2,158 6,622 1945........ 1............................. 6.28 9.65 3.78 2,292 7,033 1946...................... ................. 7.62 13.78 4.18 2,781 8,533 1947.... ................. ................. 8.74 13.90 4.47 3,189 9,786 1948...................... ....... ........ 9.31 14.40 5.27 3,408 10,460 1949...................... .......... ...... 9.70 15.03 4.73 3,541 10,868 1950...................... ................. 9.51 13.48 5.86 3,472 ? 10,655 1951...................... ................. 9.91 16.22 5.53 3,618 11,103 1952...................... ................. 10.44 * * 3,820 11,722 * Not reported. The w ater consumption for 1953 is estim ated at 13.36 million gallons daily, a total of about 4,860 million gallons or 14,969 acre feet. The peak day was June 30, 1953 w ith 19.75 m.g., and the all-time peak month of June 1953 averaged 16.80 m.g.d. The average daily consumption, based on an average 1953 population of 36,100, was 370 gallons per capita. The future service population has been estim ated by Greeley & H ansen and James M. M ontgomery by bringing the Las Vegas City census of 1950 up to date w ith the use of building permits, mail carrier stops, w ater customer, electrical services, and registered voter records, projecting a grow th curve, and modifying the curve by comparisons w ith grow th patterns of nine similar cities (Phoenix and Tucson, A rizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Beaumont, Texas; Bakersfield, Fresno, San Bernardino and Stockton, C alifornia; and Ogden, U tah) in the south and southwest. W hile no direct comparison can be made between Las Vegas and any other city in the United States, cities w ith widely varying basic industries tend to exhibit similar grow ing charac­teristics. Most communities in the arid sections of the west have grown phenomenally since the development of air conditioning. It is felt th at Las Vegas has the elements necessary for continued grow th including climate, industry, water, power, m arketing area and recreation. Building perm its for the construction of family dwelling units, as issued by the City. Building Inspector, are a quite accurate indication o f'th e population increase. The increases below are based on an estim ated average of 3.2 persons per family dwelling unit. Permits for Fam ily Estimated Y e ar D w elling Units Population Increase 1950U............. ............................................'........ ..............855 ; 2,740 1951............. .................................................816 2,600 1952.__ __________ ________ ________ ........______ __ _ 1,110 3,550 1953....,,.__ ......................................................................2,650 . 8,480 17,370 1950 Census....... S.A................................................................. 24,624 41,994 L e ss: A djustm ent for date of 1950 Census (April 1)..... 684 Estim ated Population January 1, 1954...................... ......... 41,310 The actual population would, of course, be somewhat less than 41,000 because all of the dwelling units authorized in 1953 would not be completed and occupied by January, 1954. H ow ­ever, water charges begin when the service is installed and the flat rate is calculated. This is done at the start of construction. Population estimates have recently been made by others as follow s: 1. Las Vegas school enrollment February 15, 1953, was 8,485. In ratio to 1950’s popula­tion and school enrollment, Las Vegas population as of that date would be 37,422. 2. Las Vegas garbage pick-up accounts in February 1953 were 7,221, which in ratio would place the population at 38,632. 3. The Southern Nevada Power Company metered accounts were 15,763 in February 1953 which in ratio would place the population at 31,842. The average of these three population estimates would be 35,965 as of February 1953. A t least 6.000 have been added to the population since that date. It is felt, therefore, that an estimate based on building perm its would be reasonably accurate. In estim ating future populations, Greeley & Hansen plotted the growth curve of the Las Vegas urban area to the 1948 estimate of 31,300. Continuing the growth curves of the other cities compared from the Las Vegas 1948 figure, it was found th at the probable maximum population in 1970 would be 70,000, and the minimum 51,000. Between the dates of the Greeley & Hansen and the M ontgomery reports, the growth of Las Vegas has been particularly rapid. Several annexations have increased the area from 14 square miles in 1948 to about 18 square miles in 1953. The M ontgomery report continued the city of Las Vegas 1950-53 trend to 1955, reaching 46,000 in that year, and then, for the sake of conservatism assumed that the 1940-1950 rate of growth would prevail thereafter. This method produces a projected population of 55,000 in I960 and 71.000 in 1970, after which the increase is estimated to be 10,000 per decade. In spite of the possibility of extremely rapid future grow th it was felt that the water utility income and bond retirem ent calculations should be based on conservative figures. The final calculation of the service population, Las Vegas plus 10%, shows a population of 50,600 in 1955, 60,500 in 1960, and 78,100 in 1970, with an increase of 11,000 per decade thereafter. 14