Panel approves water-system transfer

Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999 | 10:59 a.m.

Without controversy a Senate committee approved a bill that hands federal control of Southern Nevada's water delivery system to a regional agency.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed a bill on Thursday by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., that will turn the title of the Robert Griffith Water Project over to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

"I am pleased that this bill has passed the committee, and I'm hoping to see action on it before the end the session," Reid said.

"This is a good deal for Nevada, and this conveyance will improve our water delivery system," he said.

Congress approved the original water delivery system in 1965. While the water authority runs the system, the federal government owns it.

The system cost $199 million to build and the federal government paid about 85 percent of that cost. Nevada provided the rest of the funding.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority, created in 1991, has managed water drawn through the system from the Colorado River to serve an ever-growing population.

Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy has said that federal ownership of the system has delayed simple repairs and necessary maintenance to deliver most of Southern Nevada's water. By transferring the title, the water authority can improve its delivery service to customers, she said.

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