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m tank and booster pum ping station w ill be installed; several new water transm ission mains ranging in size from 15 inches to 39 inches; and a system of 8-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch loops within the existing system to strengthen the distribution system and to provide im proved fire protection. 3. U nder the contract w ith Basic M anagem ent, Inc., the W ater D istrict m ay w ithdraw 5 m illion gallons daily from the Lake M ead line. W h en the D istrict constructs certain im provem ents in capacity, 13)4 rag'd m ay be taken. T h e im provem ents to the existing supply system include the installation o f new pum ping equipm ent at the Lake M ead intake. T w o new pum ping stations will be constructed, one at the take-off point near M anganese, Inc. (3 miles northeast of H enderson), and one at a point about halfw ay betw een H enderson and Las V egas. T h e construction o f the boostin g station near M anganese, Inc. w ill reduce the present static head on the existing 40-inch line, thereby providing additional b oostin g capacity at the existing pum ping station located 2)4 miles northw est o f the Lake M ead intake. T h e D istrict plans to make these im provem ents to the Lake M ead supply system as soon as possible. T h e existing w ater intake facilities consist of six seven-stage deep w ell turbine pum ps with 182-foot colum ns suspended into deep w ater from a steel cantilever structure located on Saddle Island in Lake Mead. These pum ps have a capacity o f approxim ately 30 m gd, and they boost water 2% miles to an existing reservoir at an elevation o f 1400 feet. T h e lake surface m ay vary in elevation from 1229 to 1050 feet, causing the static head on the pum p to range between 171 and 350 feet. It is proposed to replace the existing intake pum ps with equipment of increased capacity in order to provide a total pum ping capacity of at least 43)4 m gd. T h e existing pum ps to be rem oved from the water intake facilities will be m odified and installed in the new pum ping station to be constructed at the Las V egas take-off near M anganese, Inc. T hese pum ps w ill then boost water on to H enderson through the existing 40-inch pipeline. Additional electrical facilities will be required to take care of the increased pum ping load. T h e Colorado R iver Com m ission has agreed to obtain pow er for the D istrict for pum ping from Lake M ead at the best available rate. P ow er for the booster station northw est o f W h itn ey will be purchased from the Southern N evada P ow er Com pany. T h e existing booster station presently has six pumps w ith a capacity o f about 30 m gd when five pumps are operating and boosts water to the H enderson terminal reservoirs at an elevation o f 2035 feet, w ith a static head o f 635 feet. U nder the proposed arrangement the existing booster pumps will pum p w ater to a new 1)4 m illion gallon reservoir at the Las V egas take-off at 1784 feet elevation, a static head o f 384 feet, and will provide about 50 m gd with all pum ps operating against the low er head. T he new booster station at Las V egas take-off near M anganese, Inc. will have a capacity o f 30 m gd with five pum ps operating. This station^ w ill be used to pum p w ater from the proposed 1/4 m g reservoir into the existing 30 m g terminal reservoirs at H enderson. T h e new 1)4 m g reservoir also w ill be used as a supply reservoir for water that w ill flow by gravity through a new 36-inch pipeline to the final b oostin g station located northw est o f W hitney. This final station (elevation 1750 feet) will pum p water through a 30-inch pipeline to Las V egas. • W h en the rate of water consum ption exceeds the com bined capacities o f the wells and the Lake M ead supply line, it will be necessary to install an additional line to Lake Mead. T he M ontgom ery report states, how ever, that the present local supply can be augm ented considerably by m ore effective use. T h e drilling o f a number o f new wells is recom m ended, and seasonable adjustm ents in the proportion of Lake M ead to local water used in order to reduce losses from the underground storage. It is estimated that the loss from underground storage due to upward leakage, deep-rooted plants, and evaporation is from 1,600 to 2,600 m illion gallons per year, and that a large part o f this loss m ay be eliminated by the m ore flexible operation possible w ith the Lake M ead supply. T he total potential daily supply should average about 38 m illion gallons a day. M ontgom ery estimates present average daily consum ption to be about 370 gallons per. capita. H ence the supply will support a population in excess o f 100,000 at present consum ption rates. This population is reached in 1990, the term o f the present bond issue, in the projections o f population made by M ontgom ery. If the population grow s m ore rapidly than the projected amounts, the w ater supply m ight be made to serve a larger population' than that indicated by present averages, if the high daily per capita consum ption could be reduced correspondingly. In Phoenix and T u cson , which are largely metered, the production in gallons per capita per day in 1950 was 211 and 153, 9 M respectively. It w ould therefore appear probable that public education in w ater conservation and som e general regulation and inspection w ould reduce the present consum ption rate by a consider­able am ount w ith a consequent increase in the period over w hich the supply w ill remain adequate. T h e costs o f the project are estim ated b y James M . M ontgom ery as fo llo w s : Estim ated Cost o f Proposed Im provem ents 30-million gallon reservoir in W est Las V eg a s.................................................................. $ 710,000 1/4-m illion gallon reservoir at M anganese O res................................................................ 85,000 Control building at M anganese O res.................................................................. ................... 53,500 B ooster pum ping station on U . S. H igh w ay 95.............................................. ................... 197,000 Pipeline from M anganese Ores to 30-million gallon reservoir.................. ............ ;... 1,661,500 Pipeline from Frem ont Street to 30-m illion gallon reservoir via Charleston Boulevard....................... ........................................................ ........ ........ ....... 292,000 M iscellaneous im provem ents to production facilities....................................................... 133,000 N ew w ater w ells........................ ....................... .......................... ......................... ................. . 68,000 Im provem ents to increase capacity o f 40rinch pipeline from Lake M ead to H enderson.......................................... ................................................. 620,000 M iscellaneous additional transmission pipelines.................................................................. 555,000 M iscellaneous additional im provem ents to distribution system .................................... 632,000# T otal Estim ated Construction Cost............ ............ ........................................... $5,007,000 Contingencies ........................................... .............................................. ...................................... 262,000 Purchase of existing water system from U nion Pacific R ailroad................................ 2,500,000* A cquisition o f sites, rights-of-w ay, easements, etc........................................................... 50,000 T otal A cquisition and Construction Costs.............. ...................................... $7,819,000 T otal incidental expenses, including return o f loans from County, w orking capital, engineering, legal and m iscellaneous.............................. 535,000 T otal Estim ated Cost o f P roposed Im provem ents...................................... $8,354,000 Cash reserve required to cover estim ated bond interest during construction and for six m onths thereafter............. ........ ............................... 346,000 T otal A m ount o f Proposed Bond Issue.......................................................... $8,700,000 # Meter installations, if made, can be paid from this sum. * Agreed purchase price; may be raised or lowered due to adjustments provided by contract. T he M ontgom ery engineering report estimates that the D istrict w ill sell water to the popula­tion inside the city of Las V egas plus an outside population equal to 10 per cent o f the Las V egas population. T he City o f N orth Las V egas has its ow n water system. It is expected that the City of N orth Las V egas m ay purchase som e water wholesale from the District. T he present N orth Las V egas supply is from wells. H enderson obtains its water from the existing Lake M ead pipeline, and Nellis A ir Force Base^has its ow n well supply. T h e unincorporated residential areas rely on wells, and it is anticipated that som e of the area near the pipelines will purchase water from the District. Reports o f the State Engineer of N evada indicate that 790 deep wells and som e 850 shallow wells have been drilled in the Las V egas Valley. T h e hotels and m otels o f the “ Strip” are large users of water and have their ow n wells, but som e have inadequate wells and are expected to purchase water from the District. Private pum ping is done under perm it by the State Engineer, w ho has the authority to regulate the use o f water and to prevent its waste. T he Enabling A ct of the N evada Legislature under w hich the Las V egas V alley W ater D istrict was form ed specifically provides that it is the intent o f the law to have all expenses, including bond interest and redem ption, paid from revenues. Consequently, although the bonds will be general obligations backed b y the full faith, credit and resources o f the District, the Board o f D irectors is under statutory obligation (so long as the rates are reasonable) to maintain water rates at a level that w ill provide sufficient revenue to meet maintenance and operation costs, bond interest and principal paym ents and all other charges, w ithout the necessity of a tax levy. 10