Page 9 - labwp1929annual

Report of Chief Engineer

Aug. 1, 1929.
To the Honorable, The Board of Water and Power Commissioners,
Cit y of Los Angeles.
Gentlemen:
Permit me, herewith, to submit to your Honorable Board a report
of the physical and financial operations and accomplishments of the De-
partment of Water and Power for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929.
The year brought to a close another period of active and expanding
service by the Department for the citizens of Los Angeles. Before enter-
ing upon a detailed exposition of the Department's operations, may I
review briefly a few of the more important and significant phases of the
year's work and problems.
CONTINUED DROUTH
The continued drouth which has prevailed during the past seven
years and which was in no-wise relieved during the past year, confronts
the Department with a serious water and hydro-electric supply problem.
During the past year, the flow of Owens River was only 56 per cent of
normal, the snow crop on the Sierra Nevadas being even lighter than it
had been in preceding years. This continued shortage of supply, coupled
with an ever increasing demand for water, emphasizes the necessity of
pushing forward, without unnecessary delay, the Colorado River Aque-
duct project.
ADDITIONAL STORAGE REQUIREMENTS
One of the most pressing problems confronting the Department at
the close of the fiscal year just past is that of providing large additional
reservoir storage capacity at the Los Angeles end of the Aqueduct. The
continued drought, coupled with a rapidly increasing consumption of
domestic water, faces the Department with the imperative necessity of
making such additional storage available for use without delay.
A Board of Consulting Engineers retained by your Board about a
year ago recommended that 100,000 acre feet of reservoir storage should
be made available in or near the city. At the present time, only 45,000
acre feet are available.
Failure of the water bonds to carry at the June election has handi-
capped the Department in providing this necessary storage. However,
detailed engineering studies were carried forward during the year and
tentative plans have been outlined which offer some relief through in-
creasing the capacities of Upper and Lower San Fernando and Chats-
worth Reservoirs.
INCREASED POWER AND WATER SALES
A healthy and normal growth in population and in commercial and
industrial activity in Los Angeles during the past year is clearly revealed
in the increased volume of water and electricity sales, as compared to
previous years,
Water sales show an increase of 4.3 per cent over the previous year;
electric sales were increased 8.3 per cent over the preceding twelve
months.
OPERATING COSTS REDUCED
That sound and conservative business methods have been applied in
every branch of the Department's operations appear to be indicated
by the fact that operating costs have not increased in the same proportion
as have water and power revenues. Operating expenses in the Power
System show an increase of only 7.3 per cent for the year ended June