After more than 40 years of service with the Utah State Division of Drinking Water and its predecessor agencies Ken Bousfield is retiring. His last day of work will be on December 30, 2016. The characterization of his career is best described by the Division’s mission statement that Ken modified upon his appointment to the Director position in 2006. That mission statement reads as follows: “Cooperatively work with drinking water professionals and the public to ensure a safe and reliable supply of drinking water”. “Drinking water professionals” include: a) the water system operators and managers, b) engineering consultants, and c) technical assistance providers, including: the Rural Water Association of Utah, the Intermountain Section of the American Water Works Association, and local health departments.
By way of background, Ken grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from University High School. Siting in a chemistry class in High School a month before his 16th birthday, he evaluated his skills and abilities in the context of what profession he should pursue. Because he was very good at math he made the conscious decision to pursue an engineering degree. Specifically he chose the Civil Engineering pathway. He enrolled as a freshman at BYU and earned his degree. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Utah. While being born in Los Angeles, he does have Utah roots as one of his ancestors, Charles Shumway, was part of the original company arriving in the Salt Lake valley in July 1847. Charles Shumway arrived in the valley, along with others on July 22nd and was part of the crew that diverted water from City Creek canyon into Pioneer Park.
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