Deshmukh Named New General Manager of Metropolitan Water District

The board of directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has selected Shivaji Deshmukh as the agency’s next general manager.

Deshmukh, who currently serves as general manager for Inland Empire Utilities Agency, one of Metropolitan’s 26 member agencies, will officially assume leadership of Metropolitan Water District on Jan. 1. He is set to begin a transition period with outgoing General Manager Adel Hagekhalil Upadhyay on Nov. 3, to ensure a smooth change in leadership.

A longtime figure in Southern California water policy, Deshmukh has been an active participant in the Member Agency Managers Group, which advises Metropolitan Water District’s board on regional water issues.

Metropolitan Water District serves as a water wholesaler, and about two-thirds of Pasadena’s water comes from it. This is a supplemental supply, as Pasadena also relies on its own local sources.

The City, one of Metropolitan’s founding member agencies, congratulated Deshmukh on his appointment, stating that it “looks forward to meeting him in the future.”

The Metropolitan Water District is the nation’s largest wholesale water provider, delivering water to 26 agencies serving nearly 19 million people across six counties. Deshmukh will take over as the region faces mounting challenges tied to climate change, drought resilience, and long-term water supply reliability.

“Metropolitan Water District is part of the fabric of Southern California, delivering the water supply that has helped the region grow and thrive for nearly 100 years. I am thrilled to be joining this indispensable organization, particularly as it sets the course for water reliability for the next century with critical decisions on the horizon about various water supply, storage and conveyance projects,” Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh will spend his first two months deepening his understanding of Metropolitan’s day-to-day operations and the agency’s strategic work on long-term water supply reliability, while working closely with Upadhyay, who began his career with Metropolitan in 1995.

As general manager, Deshmukh will earn an annual salary of $495,040, under the contract approved by Metropolitan’s board.

The district’s 5,200-square-mile service area covers most of urbanized Southern California. Metropolitan imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies. It also provides financial incentives to increase water conservation in homes and businesses and helps local agencies develop recycling, storage and other water management programs.

Headquartered adjacent to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Metropolitan has an annual operating/capital budget of $1.8 billion, about 1,700 employees and more than 30 facilities throughout Southern California.

As general manager, Deshmukh will be responsible for leading Metropolitan’s daily operations, managing its assets and resources, and overseeing its long-term vision, including implementing the policies directed by the agency’s 38-member board of directors. Deshmukh will report directly to the board, and will work with other department heads, member agencies and federal, state and local officials to carry out Metropolitan’s mission to provide reliable, high-quality water to Southern California.

The board’s selection of Deshmukh comes after a five-month recruitment process.

“Our entire board dedicated a great deal of time deciding the qualities, experience and leadership style that we wanted in Metropolitan’s next leader. We have found that person in Shivaji Deshmukh,” Ortega said.