“When we have a hurricane like we had in Florida, we all react and we jump in. When you have a fire, you jump in you take care of it. Well, when you have a water crisis—I think this should be a disaster.” – Adel Hagekhalil, general manager and chief executive officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
As flows on the Colorado River continues to dwindle, Southern California is facing dire questions about the sustainability of its water supply. Water managers across jurisdictions are having to work together to find innovative solutions to reduce reliance on the river and also find new sources, such as water recycling and desalination.
Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with Adel Hagekhalil, general manager and CEO of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California about his efforts to work across boundaries to reduce consumption and augment water supply in the state.
Guest Speaker
Adel Hagekhalil is general manager and chief executive officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest wholesale drinking water agency in the country. He is a registered civil engineer and national board-certified environmental engineer, having earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Houston, Texas. Before joining Metropolitan, he was appointed in 2018 by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as the executive director and general manager of the city’s Bureau of Street Services. Previously, he served nearly 10 years as assistant general manager of the Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation, led the city’s wastewater collection system, stormwater and watershed protection program, water quality compliance, advance planning and facilities.
