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La Ciudad Posee Su Agua " "no es la teora econmica de la propiedad y de laadministracin municipales de utilidades pblicas que se refiere a nosotros; nosenfrentan con una condicin y no una teora. La ciudad posee su agua y nuestrae!periencia debe conencernos... de la sabidura clariidente de nuestros precursoresespa#oles y me!icanos en aferrarse a las derec$as de las aguas de Los %ngeles con

un apretn del $ierro." &ablero del informe anual de comisiones 'irst del agua ()*+

"The City Owns Its Water"

It is not the economic theory of municipal ownership and administration of

public utilities which concerns us; we are confronted with a condition andnot a theory. The city owns its water, and our experience should convince

us ofthe farsighted wisdom of our Spanish and exican predecessors inholding on to the rights of the waters of !os "ngeles with a grip of iron.#

$oard of %ater &ommissioners

'irst "nnual (eport, )*+

In 1902, the City of Los Angeles purchased the Los Angeles City WaterCompany for $2 million, protecting the Citys lifeline in the face oftremendous groth! With a population of more than 100,000, the City had

dou"led more thanfour times in #0 years!

At the time though,the oard of WaterCommissioners asunaare that it had

also set in motion themeans for Los Angelesfuture greatness! Aspart of the purchase ofthe Los Angeles CityWater Company, theCommissioners had

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"ecome the employers of its superintendent, William %ulholland! &he Cityould turn to %ulholland again and again to sol'e the pro"lems created "y a"urgeoning population in a semi(arid region!

&he preconditions for Los Angeles greatness ere there from the "eginning!

When )aspar de *ortola disco'ered and named the +io *orciuncula on hismission of eploration from -an .iego to %onterey in 1/9, he recogniedthe site as ideal for settlement "ecause of the ample ater supply in theri'er!

&he 11 families ho founded l *ue"lo de 3uestra -enora La +eina de LosAngeles constructed the citys first ater system, a "rush 4toma5 or damacross the ri'er! &his dam di'erted ater to the 6an7a %adre, or motherditch, hich fed irrigation canals in their ad7acent fields!

8nership of the ater in the ri'er as granted in perpetuity to the *ue"loat its founding "y ing Carlos III of -pain! When the City of Los Angelesincorporated 9 years later, the population of 1,10 as 'ested ith all ofthe rights of the *ue"lo, including these rights to the ater of the LosAngeles +i'er!

y 1:;< this primiti'e ater system as large enough to "ecome a citydepartment! &he first person in charge as gi'en the title 4an7ero5 orater o'erseer! 8ne yearlater, William %ulholland, theman ho ould shape the

future of Los Angeles throughits ater system, as "orn inelfast, Ireland!

When %ulholland came to or=for the Los Angeles City WaterCompany in 1:/:, the systemhad "een leased to a pri'atecompany! >e as a ditchtender, a an7ero himself,though the system hadprogressed from ditches andholloed logs to include adomestic ser'ice system ithreser'oirs and ater mains!ut the an7as ser'ed the cityfor #; more years, carrying

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ater to ater heels hich lifted the ater for gra'ity flo to homes andfields!

At #1, William %ulholland "ecame superintendent of the company! &hesystem he o'ersa included #00 miles of mains, si ma7or reser'oirs,

infiltration galleries, and pumping plants! &hree years later, in 1::9, thecompany installed its first ater meter at %ulhollands instigation!History Home PageAqueduct Home Page

Contact Us

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