MWD board fires general manager after closed-door session

LOS ANGELES — The board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which manages water deliveries to agencies across the region, voted on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to fire its general manager, who was placed on leave seven months ago amid allegations of harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

According to a statement from MWD, Adel Hagekhalil was terminated under the terms of his employment contract.

No reasons for the dismissal were given, although board Chairman Adán Ortega Jr. said in a statement, “Metropolitan takes all allegations of discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment seriously. We are committed to maintaining a workplace environment that upholds the values of fairness, respect, and due process.”

Ortega said the decision to fire Hagekhalil was made during a closed-session discussion.

“With a more than 80% vote, the board took decisive steps to stabilize our organization and workforce, while doubling down on climate action and long-term water supply sustainability,” he said. “We need to reinforce our focus on fulfilling our core mission and addressing the immediate challenges ahead.”

Deven Upadhyay, MWD’s assistant general manager and chief operating officer who has been serving as interim general manager since June 2024, was officially appointed to the position Wednesday. The board is expected to vote on his employment contract in February.

Hagekhalil was placed on paid administrative leave in June of last year in response to the workplace allegations.

The allegations were made by the MWD’s chief financial officer, Katano Kasaine, who made the complaint confidentially, but it was obtained and published by Politico.

Kasaine alleged that Hagekhalil had created a “toxic” work environment at MWD. She said she is “constantly scrutinized, sidelined and demeaned for standing up against issues that are not in Metropolitan’s best interest.”

Hagekhalil told the Los Angeles Times last year that the allegations amounted to “disagreements on management decisions.”

“I have always upheld the highest standards of integrity and promote that for our entire staff at Metropolitan,” he said. “I truly treat everybody with respect, always, and nobody in my office has been mistreated. Any claim to the contrary is false.”

The MWD is the nation’s largest water wholesaler, controlling deliveries to cities and agencies across Southern California, effectively overseeing water supplies for more than 19 million people.

Hagekhalil’s firing was met with criticism by some environmental groups. Bruce Reznik, executive director of LA Waterkeeper, issued a statement saying Hagekhalil was fired “without cause” following a months-long probe that found “no significant performance concerns.”

“It’s hard to overestimate how consequential this leadership change could be for the future of water resilience in our region,” Reznik said. “Mr. Hagekhalil came into his role with a clear vision to ensure Southern California’s water supplies remain as reliable and affordable as feasible as climate change continues to take hold. He also worked to engage constituencies that have largely been ignored by MWD, such as tribes and other communities impacted by MWD projects.

“With his removal, we expect and demand that MWD leaders — both staff and board — honor their commitment to continue working with impacted communities and transition the agency to more resilient local water supplies to adapt to climate change.”

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, said it was clear that the board had already decided prior to its meeting Wednesday to remove Hagekhalil “under false charges.”

“The bold forward thinking we need in California for climate and water resilience is being further rolled back — we had hoped that the Metropolitan Water District would follow the path of justice and equity to resolve this matter in favor of a pro water sales agenda,” she said in a statement. “It is heartbreaking to watch for Southern California ratepayers and watershed protectors throughout the state.”