Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-26
WATER FROM TAHOE.
Won Schmidt Says Re Can Bring 1t Dow
in Three Years

Won Schmidt Says Re Can Bring 1t Down
in Three Years.
1t begins to look, at last, as if San Fran
cisco and the line of cities lying between
that city and the foothills of Placer county
will soon be supplied with pure, undefiled
drinking-w water from Lake Tahoe, the fin
est body of mountain water in the world
For years the Tahoe company has been en-
deavoring to get the authorities of Sar
Francisco to contract with it to have III.
inhabitants of that city supplied will
water from Tahoe, but not until now has
it looked as if the city would enter into
contract for that purpose.
Day before yesterday there was q called
meeting of the Water Committee of the
Board of Supervisors of the metropolis TO
receive the report of engineer A. W. Won
Schmidt, of the Tahoe company, relative
to the cost of making the city the owner
of its own water-works.
Mr. Won Schmidt said in his opening
statement that he could bring the water
down to that city in three years, and that
| in five years time the works would be pay
ing sufficient revenue to go far toward
removing the citys Indebtedness for build
ing the pipes and works. He stated that
within short time the revenue from the
works would be at least So 200, 900 annually,
basing his calculation on the present sup
| ply and revenue OF the Spring Valley
! Water-Works Company. The report was
then read, estimated on a supply of 10000
| o00 gallons per day.
Won Schmidt said it would be necessary
| to pay only one-twentieth of the amount
| each year, making the actual cost in twenty
| years, principal and interest, S23 go, 600.
Eo.alincr af al
present and stated that the company was
| willing to give bonds in the sum of 81 ,000,-
| 600 for the faithful performance OF the
WORK and allow certain proportion 40
| per cent? of each payment to be withheld
| as guarantee against lawsuits.
| Upon inquiry Won Schmidt declared that
| the company anticipated no trouble in re-
| gard to bringing the water down, and that
| it would answer all lawsuits. He said that
water could be brought down by the third
year but would make no promises to do so
| sooner.
| If San Francisco should see fit to enter
| into q contract with the company it is more
| than likely that Alameda, Oakland, Berke-
ley, Martinez, Vallejo Suisun, Dixon, Sac
ramen.o, Stockton, Auburn and other
cities and towns will also take supplies
| from the same source. Not one of the
places named, except Sacramento and Au-
! burn has water fit to drink, and the time
! is close at haDd-if it has not already ar
rived-when this city will be compelled to
| look for better water.
! 1t is true that the water of the Sacra-
mento was originally of the best, but owing
| TO mining operations along its tributaries,
and the building up of towns along their
| banks, the streams are becoming polluted
to such an extent that it will not much
| longer be safe to use the water for domestic
purposes. Without specifying some of the
permanent sources of pollution, the fact
may be mentioned that sporadic cases are
/ constantly coming to light. Only a week
| ago an attache of the RECORD UNION Office
made the. discovery that within mile and
a half of the suction-pipe of this city s
water works one of the largest diaries in
this section of the State is daily poliuting
theariver by dumping into it the refuse
from It's barns, which are built on the levee
over the waters edge. Cow manure, dead
! calves, etc, are rolled out of the barn into
the water, to the serious danger of the peo-
| pie who are obliged TO use the water. Scores
| of other sources of pollution could be cited,
and tie question is becoming one that de.
| serves the most serious consideration.
| If the Tahoe scheme should carry, the
| probability is that Sacramento will be able
| to make such terms with the company as
will make it desirable for the city to make
q contract for permanent supply,