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In 1898 there was completed the Crystal Springs emergency pumping station, with conduit to San Andreas reservoir, and also the Millbrae pumping station, which latter can deliver either Alameda or Crystal Springs water into the higher San Andreas pipe line.

In 1900 the Sunol filter beds and Sunol aqueduct, on the Alameda Creek system, were finished, largely increasing the capacity of the original Alameda works, and also, by filtration, improving the quality of the water. These filter beds also received the water from the Spring Valley Company's artesian lands in Livermore Valley.

During 1902 the second double line of submarine pipes was constructed across the bay, these lines being 22 inches, while the original lines are 16 inches in diameter.

This was followed in 1903 by more than doubling the capacity of the Belmont pumping plant, at the same time laying the 54-inch Alameda pipe line from the Burlingame junction of the Crystal Springs and Alameda pipe line to the Millbrae pumping station.

During the period of forty years, from 1865 to 1905, the population and consumption of water in San Francisco gradually and steadily grew and naturally required an enormous extension of the city distributing reservoir and pipe system. Cable roads were constructed, rapidly populating the hilly parts of the city. Water was required and demanded everywhere, and at elevations varying from the sea-level up to over 500 feet above tide.

Until 1865, when the Mountain Lake Water Works succumbed and were bought out by the Spring Valley Water Works, there was competition in the supply, and peace in municipal circles. But only two years later, or in 1867, litigation began, and there has been practically no peace since.

But in this struggle the city has frequently attempted to gain ownership of its water supply. The history of these attempts will now be briefly reviewed:

EFFORTS TO OBTAIN MUNICIPAL SUPPLY

The first investigations of the water supply, conducted by the city with a view to municipal control, were made in 1871-1872. The dry seasons, 1869-1870 and 1870-1871, emphasized the necessity of an increased supply, and on April 10, 1871, the board of supervisors appointed a special committee on water supplies to investigate and report on the subject. This committee consulted General B. S. Alexander, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., and Professor George Davidson, United States Coast Survey, and reported, December 11, 1871 (Mun. Rep., 1871-1872, pp. 626 et seq.), "that the water sources of the peninsula, within reasonable distance, are amply sufficient to furnish an abundant supply of good. pure fresh water to provide for the wants of San Francisco for at least fifty years.' Also, "that the city should own and have absolute control of the water works is a fact self-evident, and requires no favorable argument from us. The success and admirable management of the great water works of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, and other large cities in our own land afford satisfactory experience ample to vindicate its necessity and expediency in our own case."

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General Alexander concluded, upon the basis of yield of Pilarcitos watershed, that from 60 square miles on the west slope of the peninsula drainage, 20.244,000,000 gallons could be developed, which, with the yield of Cañada de Raymundo, could be raised to 21,979,000,000 gallons, or a daily supply of 60,216,434

* Yet, in 1887, or fifteen years later, an additional supply was introduced from beyond the peninsula, or from Alameda Creek, via the Dumbarton Point submarine pipes, as previously recited.

gallons. But he did not point out reservoir capacity for such a supply. Professor Davidson, who in 1869 had been called upon to report upon the supply of the then San Francisco Water Company, confirmed the conclusions he had then reached, namely, that the peninsula supply was sufficient for 1,000,000 inhabitants.

These plans involved a storm-water canal along the west slope of the peninsula, a tunnel through the ridge, and storage capacity far beyond any yet developed. The succeeding season, 1871-1872, was exceedingly wet and no action was taken upon this report.

The seasonal rainfall of 1872-1873 again fell far below the average, and the subject of municipal ownership was again agitated. This resulted in the steps taken in 1874-1875, when the city undertook the "Scowden Surveys." During these years Blue Lakes, in the Sierra, and Clear Lake, Calaveras Creek, and the peninsula sources were surveyed and examined. The resulting report and recommendation favored the acquisition by the city of Calaveras Creek, draining the northwest slopes of Mount Hamilton and adjacent outliers to the north and forming the principal tributary of Alameda Creek, and subsequently known as "the Calaveras cow-pasture scheme." Despite the rather flat and cold reception of this recommendation, the city was negotiating for the purchase of the alleged rights from the proponents of this scheme, when the Spring Valley Water Works forestalled the city's action by the purchase of these rights and properties in May, 1875. (Mun. Rep., 1874-1875, p. 684.) Since 1875 these properties have been held as an undeveloped resource of the Spring Valley Water Works, or its successor, the Spring Valley Water Company.

The sale above mentioned effectually put a stop to the proposed acquisition of municipal water works, and the very wet season of 1875-1876 quenched still further the feeble embers of this attempt.

But varying climatic conditions seem to affect the moods of San Francisco as to water supply, and the dry season of 1876-1877 severely taxed the then existing supplies and again caused hurried efforts to be put forth by the Spring Valley Water Works to meet the demand. The city again, and on far broader lines, undertook to investigate the possibilities of existing and auxiliary sources. In 1876-1877 there was conducted a series of surveys and examinations under the late Colonel George H. Mendell, Corps Engineers, U. S. A., embracing all the sources which had been brought forward up to that time, and several additional ones. Offers of these were made to the city, as well as of the Spring Valley sources and properties. The sources examined were:

(1) Existing supplies and undeveloped sources claimed by the Spring Valley Water Works.

(2) Clear Lake.

(3) Lake Tahoe.

(4) El Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining Company's water properties and rights. (South fork of American River.)

(5) Blue Lakes. (Mokelumne River.)

(6) Mt. Gregory Water and Mining Company. Rubicon River. (South fork of middle fork of American River.)

(7) San Joaquin and San Francisco Water Works.

(8) Feather River Water Company.

(9) Lake Merced. (Donahue, Sharp & Mahoney.)

The Spring Valley Water Works offered its properties for $16,000,000. The city made a counter offer of $11,000,000, which was declined. . . . The city then proposed to carry out the Blue Lakes scheme, but abundant rains and the completion of the upper Crystal Springs dam in the immediately succeeding

years diverted public attention from the matter, not again to be taken up until the dry season, 1897-1898, and succeeding seasons of deficient rainfall, and by the charter provision making it obligatory upon the supervisors to make attempts every two years to acquire this necessity.

The charter went into effect on January 8, 1900. During that year and the succeeding one the board of supervisors caused to be made by the board of public works and the city engineer an exhaustive study of the whole subject, taking into consideration all available sources of supply and the future needs of the city. These examinations and studies embraced:

(1) The Spring Valley Water Works' supplies.

(a) Lobos Creek.

(b) Lake Merced.

(c) Pilarcitos.

(d) San Andreas and Crystal Springs.

(e) Portola.

(f) San Gregorio and west slope drainage.
(g) Alameda Creek.

(h) Pleasanton wells.
(i) Sunol gravels.
(j) Calaveras Creek.
(k) San Antonio Creek.

(2) Lake Tahoe.

(3) Yuba River.

(4) Feather River.

(5) American River.

(6) Sacramento River.

(7) Eel River.

(8) Cache Creek (Clear Lake).

(9) San Joaquin River.

(10) Stanislaus River.

(11) Mokelumne River.

(12) Tuolumne River.

(13) Bay Shore gravels.

(14) Bay Cities Water Company's resources.

Of these sources, the city engineer recommended that the city acquire the Tuolumne supply. Filings were made on the necessary water from the Tuolumne and application made to the Secretary of the Interior for the needed reservoir rights. The status of this as an available supply is still undetermined.

II. THE SPRING VALLEY WATER SYSTEM

Mr. Herman Schussler, chief engineer of the Spring Valley Water Company since 1864, issued July 23, 1906, a large pamphlet, fully illustrated with maps and photographs, entitled "The Water Supply of San Francisco before, during and after the Earthquake of April 18, 1906." From this pamphlet and other sources the following facts are compiled:

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The Spring Valley Water Company owns in San Mateo County:

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Of the above, Crystal Springs reservoir, it is claimed, can be increased in capacity to 45,000 million gallons.

ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPPLY

The company owns in Alameda County, or in part of Livermore Valley, a watershed of 600 square miles, and claims that it can construct three storage reservoirs of a joint capacity of 45,000 to 50,000 million gallons, and thus insure from the Alameda Creek system, when fully developed, a total daily supply of 75,000,000 gallons per day, year in and year out, of water filtered through the company's gravel filter beds in Sunol Cañon.

PENINSULAR SUPPLY

The company maintains that it can increase the supply from the present and adjacent sources on the peninsula and in San Mateo County up to 40,000,000 gallons per day. This, added to the supply it is claimed can be derived from the Alameda County sources, would make a total supply of from 110,000,000 to 120,000,000 gallons per day.

The company claims other water rights, watersheds, and reservoir sites, by means of which a still further supply can be derived.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PURCHASE OF SPRING VALLEY PROPERTIES

In 1877 the city water commission offered the company for its properties and works on the San Francisco peninsula (and exclusive of the Alameda Creek system) the sum of $11,000,000, but the company desired $13,500,000, and negotiations were discontinued.

Taking the $11,000,000 as a basis, and adding thereto $16,000,000, expended between 1877 and 1900 for betterments, the minimum value would be $27,000,000. Reckoning upon the increase of values since 1877, the officers of the company value the property in 1907 as more than $50,000,000.

The city authorities have appraised the property as being worth about $25,000,000, the interest thereon to be added to the usual working charges, and thus have fixed the water rates. The company has protested in the courts against this crippling of their necessary revenues, and declared that extensions have been and are absolutely essential to meet the rapidly growing demands of the increasing population of the city.

In March, 1907, for alleged collection of water rates in excess of those fixed by the supervisors, the city authorities declared that the franchises and water works have become forfeited to the city under section 1, article XIV of the state constitution.

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