WateReuse recently appointed two new members to serve on its board of directors. Halla Razak, public utilities director for the city of San Diego and Gilbert Trejo, P.E., chief technical officer for El Paso (Texas) Water Utilities begin service effective May 2015. Razak and Trejo will serve on the board of directors for both the WateReuse Assn. and the WateReuse Research Foundation.
“These two new directors bring the knowledge, leadership skills, and passion we need to continue to support our membership in providing a safe and sustainable water supply to communities everywhere,” said WateReuse Assn. President Robert Johnson of McManus and Johnson Consulting.
“With the impacts of climate change, drought, and environmental degradation, there has never been a more important time for WateReuse to provide thought leadership and solutions-oriented research. We are privileged to have two people of this caliber as part of our leadership,” said WateReuse Research Foundation Chair Doug Owen of Arcadis.
Razak is responsible for the daily operation of San Diego’s water, wastewater and regional wastewater sub-system, as well as planning to ensure the future reliability of these services. These systems provide water, recycled water and wastewater services to more than 1.3 million customers. The regional wastewater system has sufficient capacity to accommodate a regional population in excess of 2.5 million. The wastewater system covers approximately 450 sq miles with a population of mor than 2.2 million.
Under Razak’s leadership, the San Diego Public Utilities Department is currently developing a water reuse program that will help increase water supply reliability for the future of San Diego while also ensuring environmental protection for the ocean environment.
Trejo manages a technical services portfolio for El Paso, which includes engineering, planning, and development, project and construction management for all utilities—water, wastewater, reclaimed water and storm water. El Paso Water Utilities also is developing an $82-million Advanced Water Treatment Plant that will turn treated water from the Mission Valley’s Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant into purified drinking water.
Trejo advocates for cross-departmental collaboration and coordinates closely with his utility’s communications and marketing team to ensure complete transparency with stakeholders and customers alike on any new development. He is a published engineer on several works discussing projects such as potable reuse and water infrastructure.
Razak and Trejo are the first new members appointed to the WateReuse boards since the February 2015 adoption of a leadership merger plan in which directors will simultaneously serve on the boards for both the WateReuse Assn. and the WateReuse Research Foundation to maximize strategic collaboration. The full merger will occur over the next three years as existing board terms conclude.
Source: WateReuse
