Doug Bennet

Short Description

Doug Bennett is Conservation Manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District in St. George, Utah. He is a nationally recognized leader in municipal water conservation with over three decades of success in transforming urban water use in 16 western cities. Doug was creator and program chair for the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and currently serves the board of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. He has worked on policy and research projects with the American Water Works Association, Water Reuse Foundation, Water Research Foundation, EPA WaterSense Program and the US Green Building Council. 

Long Description

Doug Bennett is Conservation Manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District in St. George, Utah, one of the nation’s fastest growing and water scarce regions. He is a nationally recognized leader in municipal water conservation with over three decades of success in transforming urban water use in 16 western cities. 

Doug played a principal role in the conservation successes of Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was responsible for conservation policy and programming from 2000 until 2023. He also worked with the City of Albuquerque from 1995 through 2000, where he created and managed one of the first landscape conversion incentive programs in the United States.

Doug was creator and program chair for the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and currently serves the board of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. He has worked on policy and research projects with the American Water Works Association, Water Reuse Foundation, Water Research Foundation, EPA WaterSense Program and the US Green Building Council. Doug created a coalition of water agencies and irrigation manufacturers that was instrumental to bringing smart irrigation control technologies into the mainstream market. 

Doug holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s degree in business and personnel management. In his early career, he worked in landscape and irrigation design, installation and management. He also has eight years’ experience as an extension horticulturist for New Mexico State University.

Doug has received dozens of awards throughout his career, including recognition with the AWE Water Star Award in 2013.

Media Engagement

Doug is frequently interviewed by local and state print, radio and television media. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. 

Areas of Expertise

• Landscape Transformation: Architect of large-scale non-functional turf replacement programs. 
• Strategic Planning: Developing regional, multi-agency conservation plans that align municipal policy with resource availability.
• Irrigation Technology: Expert in the implementation of “Smart” irrigation controllers and high-efficiency delivery systems.
• Public Policy: Crafting water-efficient building codes and “Ultra Water Efficiency Standards” for new developments.