Do you know what’s involved in providing fresh water to all of us in Washington County?

On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Karry Rathje, Public Affairs Manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District, a division of the State of Utah, came to Good Shepherd Church to share her extensive knowledge about how collaboration between Conservancy District managers, engineers and a Board of Trustees provides fresh, safe drinking water to eight cities and residents served by the organization not only for today but also for years to come. An extensive slide presentation helped illustrate her talking points.

Because we live in a fast growing-region prone to drought conditions and receiving only 8 inches of rain per year, the District must oversee being able to provide adequate water supplies not only to our permanent, resident population but also to our seasonal residents and ten million annual visitors. Our water is sourced from the Virgin River Watershed, a tributary of the Colorado River. To aid in maintaining present supplies, Washington County, with only 6% of the state’s population, can be proud that its local replacement initiatives have resulted in our leading the state in per capita reduction of water usage. The District and others are responsible for consensus decision-making about issuance of water use permits to prospective large water use entities. In 2023, water use efficiency standards relating to new single-family construction were adopted to address irrigation, swimming pool size and spas. Additionally, there are voluntary surcharge options in exchange for employing aggressive water efficiency measures.

Planning for development of sources to supply future needs is dependent on being able to add about 40,000 acre feet of water to serve 70, 000 homes at a cost of $2 billion. In addition to those with private wells and water rights, five reservoirs currently supply water for culinary and secondary water use in the greater county area. Future planning centers on finding ways to recapture water, both potable and non-potable, purifying it for reuse and making it available to the public. The District is proactively involved in implementing ways to meet its goals by creating new reservoirs, building purification facilities and planning for infrastructure to convey sufficient potable water to county residents, businesses and public service facilities for the immediate future and beyond.

There are many other interesting and important facts to be learned from Karry’s presentation. If you would like to watch a video of this entire Lunch and Learn program, it is available on our YouTube channel.