The Washington County Water Conservancy District and its municipal partners have invested significant resources to conservation initiatives and the investments are paying off.

Per capita water use in Washington County has decreased more than 30 percent between 2000 and 2018. During that same period, Washington County’s population nearly doubled and more than 100 million tourists visited the county.

Washington County’s rapid growth, accompanied with the county’s limited water resources, necessitated the development and implementation of an aggressive water conservation program to protect existing water supplies and the county’s unparalleled quality of life.

The district approved its first long-term Water Resource Management, Development and Protection Plan in the 1990’s, which states: “The district shall develop a conservation program that promotes public education and information dissemination concerning water conservation; and promote the adoption of technologies, practices and devices that will yield improvements in the efficiency and management of water use.”

For 30 years, the district has been an advocate for conservation investing millions in the cause. The wise use of water is recognized as a fundamental component of preserving and prolonging existing water supplies. Continued conservation, accompanied with the necessary acquisition and development of additional water supplies, will allow the water district to meet projected water demands through 2060.

Click here to read the district’s current conservation plan, updated in 2021.