One Water Washington County is a collaborative and integrated strategy to ensure a safe and resilient water supply.
The Washington County Water Conservancy District (district) and its municipal partners are working together on multiple initiatives, based in water conservation and reuse, that will maximize all available water to benefit our communities, economy and environment.
Why One Water
Clean, safe and reliable water is a limited resource in the Desert Southwest, so we need to make the most of all available water. One Water is a nationally recognized approach to water management that values all water—at every stage of the water cycle. Here in Southern Utah, this approach helps ensure a resilient water supply for generations to come.
About One Water Washington County
One Water Washington County will secure additional water supplies for the region through five key initiatives.
Conserve
Reduce per capita water use and increase efficiency
reuse
Recycle and purify water to augment irrigation and drinking water supplies
Develop
Invest in local infrastructure projects to produce, clean, store and deliver water
Convert
Evaluate additional water supplies from agricultural land converted to municipal use
Optimize
Evaluate additional groundwater supplies
Learn more about our Conserve and Reuse initiatives
Benefits
- Maintains a local, reliable and high-quality water supply
- Uses water resources more efficiently
- Offers drought resiliency
- Safeguards quality of life throughout the region
- Provides economic development for all communities
- Supports healthy waterways and ecosystems that residents and visitors value
A Regional Effort
One Water Washington County is a collaborative effort between the district and its municipal partners—St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Santa Clara, Ivins, Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin. Together, we work to conserve, identify and develop water resources that can support the evolving needs of Washington County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is One Water Washington County?
One Water Washington County is a collaborative and integrated strategy to ensure a safe and resilient water supply. The strategy embraces the idea that all water has inherent value and prioritizes integrated strategies that maximize water supplies through technology, infrastructure investments and natural resource management.
What is the goal of One Water Washington County?
One Water Washington County aims to develop and secure additional, drought-proof and locally controlled water supplies that can meet the region’s needs now and in the future.
What are the components of One Water Washington County?
One Water Washington County has five key initiatives – conserve, reuse, develop, convert and optimize.
- Conserve – Further reductions in per capita water use to free up existing water supplies.
- Reuse – Construct a regional water reuse system to purify increasing amounts of reclaimed water in the system and augment potable water supplies.
- Develop – Invest in local infrastructure projects to produce, clean, store and deliver water to municipal partners.
- Convert – Evaluate additional water supplies from agricultural land as it is converted to municipal and industrial development.
- Optimize – Evaluate whether groundwater water rights can reliably generate additional supply.
As part of the reuse initiative, the district is developing the Regional Reuse Purification System, a critical part of One Water Washington County that is projected to produce 24,200 acre feet of water per year by 2046, enough water to serve more than 40,000 homes.
Why do we need One Water Washington County?
Clean, safe and reliable water is a limited resource in the Desert Southwest, so we must maximize all available water to support our communities, economy and environment. Washington County’s population and economy are also growing, resulting in a greater need for new, local water sources. To maximize the use of the county’s current water source, the Virgin River Basin, the district and its municipal partners are collaborating on One Water Washington County to identify and develop new water supplies to meet our region’s long-term water demands.
How will the region benefit from One Water Washington County?
The collaborative approach to One Water Washington County creates a roadmap to establish and maintain a local, reliable and high-quality water supply that is more resilient to drought. Doing so secures our quality of life throughout the region and provides certainty for economic development for all communities. Using water resources more efficiently supports healthy waterways and ecosystems that residents and visitors value.
Is One Water being implemented in other places?
Yes, the One Water approach is also being implemented in more than 80 communities nationwide.
How will the system use AWP?
One Water Washington County is a collaborative effort between the district and its municipal partners – St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Santa Clara, Ivins, Toquerville, La Verkin and Virgin. The district and its municipal partners are working to conserve and develop additional water resources to support the environment, people and economy. You can learn more by:
- Requesting a presentation for your organization
- Sharing wcwcd.gov/onewater with your friends and colleagues
Who is involved, and how can I stay engaged?
The district is working diligently to deliver this vital project to Washington County and construction has already begun on key elements. The anticipated timeline for completion of the system is about 20 to 30 years.
