The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-05-12
COUNCIL HANDS OUT ULTIMATUM
 TO WATER FIRM
Stormy Session Over Wat CT Situation Ends with
 Notice by City

At a special meeting of the City Council last evening, called for the purpose of discussing the local water situation with R. F. Lewis, owner of the Juneau Water Com pany, an ultimatum was esrved on MT. Lewis by the Council to pro- vide additional storage capacity by next January or suffer revocation of his franchise.
 Among the recommendations made by Chester A. Smith, en- gineer recently engaged by the City to survey water conditions in Ju- neau, was provision for use of the Hume tunnel in the Basin for ad- ditional storage capacity, with a new six-inch main leading to the Casey-Shattuck Addition to serve the residents of that district. MT. Smith estimated that this tunnel, properly bulkheaded at both ends, would provide between 100000 and 100000 gallons additional storage capacity
 Lewis Demands Title
 MT. Lewis declared that he was willing to comply with the majority of Engineer Smiths recommenda- tions, including the plan for the storage tunnel, but that he would not spend any money on this de- velopment, aside from some pre- liminary surveys and work that he had already done, until he had secured absolute title to the prop erty involved and made absolute assurance that the City's water supply would not be crippled by the partial curtailment of the sup ply while the proposed work was in progress.
 MT. Lewis admitted that he had been using part of this tunnel for the past 20 years and that he believed he would eventually get title from the Government, but de- clined to risk any considerable in- vestment until the title was ob- tained. City Attorney H. L. Faulk- ner, who was present at the meet ing, gave it as his opinion that there was no possible chance for MT. Lewis's rights to the tunnel to be successfully disputed.
 Temporary Storage Feared
 MT Lewis expressed apprehension that owing to the comparatively small supply of surplus water in the Gold Creek Basin this spring there would not be sufficient sup ply to take care of the City's needs while the water now coming through the springs at the infiltra- tion tunnel was shut off while the work of bulkheading the tunnel would be in progress. He suggested that some water could be obtained as an emergency supply from Hal lum Creek but felt that this supply could not be depended upon.
 Another fear expressed by MT. Lewis, tending to dampen his en- thusiasm for immediate start on the project was that it would be necessary to secure the approval of the directors of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company for a right of way for the proposed six-inch main across the company's property in Evergreen Bowl. He was not sure whether this permission could be obtained.
 Rice Resolution Adopted
 At times the discussion between the water company and Mayor Goldstein and the Councilmen grew rather heated. Councilman Rice, expressing the opinion that there was no good reason for any furth- CT delay in starting construction of the proposde storage facilities, in- troduced the following resolution. which was pasesd unanimously:
 Tt is hereby resolved that MT. Lewis be instructed to start actual construction of the bulkheads' and laying of the pipe line to supply water in the tunnel that is to be used as reservoir to supply water to the Casey Shattuck Addition; work to be started on or before August l and finished by January l. And if not, if MT. Lewis refuses to do so, we, the City Council, will go to court to start proceedings to revoke his franchise Further more, that MT. Lewis guarantee the City an adequate supply of water for this coming Winter"
 Change Reserve Hookup
 MT. Lewis promised to install immediately the valve that will permit the fire reserve tank to be filled first from the supply line, instead of the latter running into the domestic supply tank and the overflow from the latter running into the fire supply tank as at present. This connection has been promised before, 1t was stated, but