Southern California’s biggest water supplier replaced its general manager Wednesday after the completion of an investigation into claims of harassment and a toxic workplace.
The 38-member board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies some 19 million Californians in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, voted to terminate Adel Hagekhalil in a closed session Wednesday after putting him on administrative leave six months ago.
The board named Deven Upadhyay, an agency veteran who had been interim general manager during Hagekhalil’s leave, as the agency’s new general manager. Upadhyay has worked at Metropolitan since 1995, except for a three-year stint at the Municipal Water District of Orange County.
“With a more than 80 percent vote, the board took decisive steps to stabilize our organization and workforce, while doubling down on climate action and long-term water supply sustainability,” board Chair Adán Ortega said in a statement. “We need to reinforce our focus on fulfilling our core mission and addressing the immediate challenges ahead.”
