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LCO A. McNAMIt JOHN H. MC NAM EE McN a m e e & McN a m e e ATTORNEYS AT LAW E L POR TAL B U I L D I N G La s V e g a s , N e v a d a O c t o b e r 4, 1955> E. E, B. OOT 511 19R* ’ p. o. box *72 PHONE I86B o B o a r d of D i r e c t o r s L a s V e g a s V a l l e y Water D i s t r i c t G e n tl e r r en: 'A* I h a v e b e e n a s k e d a s to w h e t h e r o r not the L a s V e g a s V a l l e y Water Vjn ? D i s t r i c t c a n e s t a b l i s h m e t e r s in the C it y of L a s V e g a s f0 r d e t e r m i n i n g the a m o u n t to b e paid by i t s r e s p e c t i v e w a t e r u s e r s . T h i s q u e s t i o n a r i s e s c n a c c o u n t of t h e e x i s t e n c e of the f o l l o w i n g s t a t u t e , w hich i s a part of th e P u b li c U t i l i t y A c t of t h e State of N e v a d a , n a m e l y : S e c . 6112, N C L Supp. 1931-41 p r o v i d e s : ’’T h e P u b l i c S e r v i c e Corn-m i s s i o n m a y , w h e r e n e c e s s a r y , a s c e r t a i n and p r e s c r i b e f0 r e a c h kind of p u blic u t ili t y a d e q u a t e , C onvenient and s e r v i c a b l e s t a n d a r d s for t h e m e a s u r e ­m e n t of q u a l i t y , p r e s s u r e , v o l t a g e o r o t h e r c o n d i t i o n s p e r t a i n i n g to th e s u p ­ply of t h e p r o d u c t o r s e r v i c e r e n d e r e d by any public u tili ty and p r e s c r i b e r e a s o n a b l e r e g u l a t i o n s f0 r t h e e x a m i n a t i o n and t e s t i n g of s u c h p r o d u c ts 0 r s e r v i c e and f0 r t h e m e a s u r e m e n t t h e r e o f ........... p r o v i d e d that it s h a l l be u n law fu l f ° r any public u t i l i t y , f o r any p u r p o s e o r o b j e c t w h a t s o e v e r , in any c i t y o r tow n Containing m o r e than 4500 i n h a b i t a n t s , to i n s t a l l , o p e r a t e , o r u s e w ith in s u c h c i t y o r tow n a n y m e c h a n i c a l w a t e r m e t e r , 0 r s i m i l a r m e c h a n i c a l d e v i c e , to m e a s u r e th e quantity of w a t e r d e l i v e r e d to w a t e r u s e r s ; p r o v i d e d f u r t h e r , that nothin g in t h e i m m e d i a t e f o r e g o i n g p r o v i s o s h a l l ap p ly to c i t i e s and t o w n s ow ning and o p e r a t i n g m u n i c i p a l w a t e r w o r k s . ' i T h e t e r m " P u b l ic U tility " i s d e fin e d by S e c . 6106 N C L a s : " P u blic U t ili t y " s h a l l a l s o e m b r a c e e v e r y c o r p o r a t i o n , c o m p a n y , in d i v i d u a l , a s s o c i a ­t i o n of i n d i v i d u a l s ........... that now 0 r h e r e a f t e r m a y o w n , o p e r a t e o r control anV» ? • • • • plant o r e q u i p m e n t . • • • . . fj>r th e p r o d u c t i o n , d e l i v e r y o r f u r n i s h i n g f o r or to the o t h e r p e r s o n s , f i r m s , a s s o c i a t i o n s o r c o r p o r a t i o n s , p r i v a t e or m u n i c i p a l , . . . . . . w a t e r f o r b u s i n e s s , m a n u f a c t u r i n g , a g r i c u l t u r a l o r h o u s e - h old u s e ; and the P ublic S e r v i c e C o m m i s s i o n i s h e r e b y i n v e s t e d with full power_o£ s u p e r v i s i o n , r e g u l a t i o n and c o n t r o l , e t c . T h e a c t c r e a t i n g t h e w a t e r d i s t r i c t and d e fin in g its p o w e r s and d u ties w a s f i r s t e n a c t e d in 1947 and s a i d a ct and t h e t i t l e t h e r e o f w a s a m e n d e d in