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Carson City, Nevada Nevada State Journal March 15, 194? WATER METER BILL MSSED BY SiATORS ? — Water Conservation j Declared Coal By Sponsors CARSON CITY, March 14. (U.R) The senate passed E. Frandsen Loomis’ and C. D. Baker’s much- debated water meter bill today with only one senator, Ralph Lat- tin of Churchill county, opposing its passage. The measure provides that indi­viduals may make complaints to the state public service commis­sion about persons they believe to be wasting water. The commis­sion would then order a hearing, and under the bill would be em­powered to install a water meter if it was found that the wastage complaint was valid. Both Loomis, R., Washoe, and Baker, D., Clark', co-sponsors of ;the bill, took the senate floor to urge its passage, pointing out that because of population require­ments only Las Vegas, Reno and j Sparks would be affected. Loomis declared that Reno “has ! the largest per capita consump­tion of water of any city, town or municipality in the United States. He said that per capita con­sumption of water in Reno “ac­tually is about twice as heavy as i that of the next heaviest user i community.” The average Reno j resident, Loomis said, uses about j 800 gallops of water annually. Loomis said that because of j j Reno’s continuing growth that its stqrm drain and sewerage systems ! couldn’t be expanded “fast enough '? to keep up with the "water being | wasted every day in the city.” j “You can’t get cooperation by j pleas,” Loomis declared. “You 1 i have to have a law hanging over ! the heads of the people.” Baker emphasized that the bill “under no circumstance would j allow the indiscriminate ihstalla- j tion of water meters by the public i utilities,” “It protects us against the indi- vidual who uses ten times more water than he needs,” Baker con­tinued, - pointing out that only Las Vegas, Reno and Sparks | would come under its provisions. Lattin opposed the bill’s passage, [declaring he felt it was the first step towards a move -by the pub- ] lie. utility companies to install [water meters in all Nevada cities [and towns. The bill now goes to the as- fsembly where further debate is expected. ...' ------------