[1] The position was considered to be more important than even the Mayor of Los Angeles during the city's rapid expansion in the mid-1800s, earning the highest salary of any official for many years.

[2] The title of Zanjero is a Spanish word, meaning someone who maintains a zanja (water trench).

[3] The position originally involved the maintenance and management of the trenches, such as Zanja Madre, which brought Los Angeles its water.

As the city expanded, the position expanded to involve the management of larger water projects for Los Angeles.

Manuel F. Coronel was the first one appointed as Water Overseer on April 3, 1854.