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John Hollenhorst ReportingWith the change of the calendar comes a change of command at Utah's biggest water district. The new leader faces the same old challenge of keeping up with a growing state's seemingly insatiable thirst.
Farmland has turned into city. That's pretty much the story of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District. Its portion of the Salt Lake Valley has grown 700 percent since the agency was created 50 years ago.
David Ovard, Retiring Gen. Mngr., Jordan Valley Water Cons. Dist.: "We've also outgrown our water supply to a certain degree."
David Ovard's job for almost two decades has been matching supply with demand. Now his colleagues are saying goodbye and his assistant is moving up to follow Ovard's path.
Richard Bay, Incoming Gen. Mngr., Jordan Valley Water Cons. Dist.: "Working on developing the Bear River and also working on wastewater re-use, or recycling, of water supplies in Salt Lake valley."
Part of that agenda is deeply controversial. A proposed dam and pipeline from Northern Utah's Bear River has drawn heated opposition from environmentalists and from Salt Lake City government. Some of that opposition has been channeled into support for water conservation, a trend Ovard agrees is crucial.
David Ovard: "The valley can't continue to grow without water conservation being an important part of our future."
He can point to a promising turnaround. Water consumption peaked in the year 2000. In the drought that followed, Utahns learned to get by with less water.
David Ovard: "Valley-wide Salt Lake County is using about 20 percent less water per capita than we were in the year 2000."
After the worst of the dry years, per capita use did not rebound; the lesson of drought seems to have stuck. But in a decade or two Ovard predicts water will run short if we don't make more changes.
David Ovard: "As the valley continues to grow, we're going to have to be very creative in how we use water."
By the time his successor retires, Ovard predicts many of us will routinely use recycled wastewater to keep our lawns and gardens green
Ovard is only the second manager the District has had in its 50 year history.
