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Zach Renstrom: Planning for the Future of the Washington County Water Conservancy District
Utah's Virgin River, seen here from Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, is the WCWCD’s single current source of water.
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he Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) provides culinary, secondary, and wastewater services to nearly 200,000 people in southwestern Utah. The WCWCD’s new general manager, Zach Renstrom, is carrying on the work of his predecessor by planning to make sure that the district has reliable water supplies decades into the future. In this interview, Mr. Renstrom tells Municipal Water Leader about his work on several key initiatives: a future Lake Powell pipeline that will bring Colorado River water to the region, the construction of two new reservoirs, septic-to-sewer conversions, and conservation efforts.
Bar Association as an attorney. I practiced law for a little bit and then was the principal owner of an engineering firm for a while. I then decided to get involved in politics and was elected for a 4‑year term as a county commissioner. During that time, I was on the board of the WCWCD. When Ron Thompson told the board he would be retiring, we opened his position. I applied, went through the interview process, and was selected to replace Ron.
Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
Zach Renstrom: The district was set up under Utah state law by a local district court judge in 1962. Local citizens had petitioned the courts to form a water district, the judge granted the petition, and the water district was formed. We live in a geographically small area with limited water resources that were developed years ago. Developing additional water resources was going to be expensive. No one city had the financial capability to develop water projects, but collectively, they did. The water district was the vehicle by which they started developing larger water
22 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER | March 2021
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WCWCD.
Zach Renstrom: My first involvement with water came when I worked on a dairy farm as a young child. I learned there, and have never forgotten, that every single drop of water counts. I went to the University of Utah and received a degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in water resources. I also earned a law degree. I am a licensed professional engineer and am licensed with the Utah State
Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about the WCWCD and its history.
