Metropolitan general manager's administrative leave extended as investigation continues

Metropolitan Water District's Board of Directors voted today to extend General Manager Adel Hagekhalil's administrative leave until an independent investigation into various personnel matters is complete and a report is issued.

"The investigation into Equal Employment Opportunity matters related to the general manager must be thorough, fair and respectful of the rights of everyone involved," board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. said after a six-hour meeting of the board and its Executive Committee. "While I know many would have preferred for our board to have reached a conclusion today, we must take care to protect the independence of the outside investigator and give them time to hear witnesses and affected parties who may be impacted, and to produce a report. A fair and thorough process for all parties involved is our priority in these matters.

"As we have made clear, the investigation is being conducted independently by an outside investigator. This means that no member of the board, including myself, or management have direct contact with the investigator or control over the speed of the investigation," Ortega said.

Hagekhalil will remain on leave until the investigative report is issued and the board and Executive Committee reconvene to consider any action. Deven Upadhyay will continue to serve as the district's interim general manager during this period.

"While this investigation continues, so does the important work of Metropolitan. Our leadership and employees continue to help ensure a reliable water supply for Southern California through day-to-day operations and long-term planning efforts," Ortega said. "We continue to make progress on important work such as developing our Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water, reforming our business model and addressing challenges to our imported water sources, while also developing new, local sources of water such as Pure Water Southern California."

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.