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Show gation, provision should be made for the supply- ing of an equitable share of such water to exist- ing farms exceeding the acreage limitation under utility-type contracts. In these contracts the charges for the water should be based on the full cost of supplying water to such lands, including amortization with interest of the full investment allocable to this purpose. 45. Before new Federal reclamation projects, or projects providing supplemental water or drainage for existing projects, are undertaken, every effort should be made to secure agreements or contracts with the State or States involved or the local interests to be benefited under which surface and ground water benefits will be con- sidered together. All beneficiaries should be subject to the standard reimbursement obliga- tions, whether securing the benefits from aug- mented surface or ground waters. 46. The same conditions as to authorization, repayment, technical and financial assistance, and acreage limitation should apply to all projects or project beneficiaries, where Federal investment in reclamation of land is concerned. This prin- ciple should be applied irrespective of the method of reclamation or the Federal agency responsible for the project. Water Supply 47. Municipal water supply should continue to be primarily a local responsibility, including intercommunity cooperation through the forma- tion of metropolitan water districts to make pos- sible area-wide coordination of water supply sources to meet the needs of an increasing popu- lation. The growing needs of communities for water supply should, however, be considered in connection with the planning of all comprehen- sive basin programs. Their use of water from multiple-purpose reservoirs and improved stream flow should constitute a fully reimbursable service under such programs. 48. Possible future water requirements of large water-using industries should be considered as an important regional and national factor in con- nection with the planning of comprehensive basin programs. This should be particularly the case in regions where deposits of oil shales or other special resources point to industrial developments of significance to the Nation's economic and mili- tary security. 49. The possibilities of contributing to munici- pal and industrial water supply and irrigation through recharging of ground water reservoirs and flows should be given full consideration in connection with all comprehensive basin plan- ning. More complete knowledge of the country's ground water resources may open the way to ground water storage of surplus floodwaters as an important supplement to surface storage. Pollution Control 50. Pollution control should be considered in the planning and development of river basin pro- grams. It should be recognized as a major con- tribution to the Nation's objectives in the fields of water supply, recreation, fish and wildlife. 51. A 10-year period should be set within which to accomplish a reasonable program for cleaning up the Nation's polluted waters. Co- operative efforts of private industries, organiza- tions, municipalities, States, and the Federal Gov- ernment should be mobilized to that end. 52. Sufficient funds should be appropriated for the administrative and regulatory activities of the Public Health Service, Division of Water Pol- lution Control to make sure that present con- gressional policy is adequately tested. Ample funds for Federal loans to municipalities should be made available at not more than 2 percent in- terest covering the entire cost of constructing the necessary sewage treatment works. 53. Multiple-purpose reservoirs should, as far as consonant with other major purposes, be planned and operated so as not to aggravate but to contribute to the control of pollution. This should include regulation of releases of water to make fullest use of the stream's potential self- purification capacity, with advance determina- tion of the schedule of releases to permit proper classification of the stream by the Public Health Service for pollution control purposes. 15 |