The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) board of directors today announced the selection of George S. Hawkins as the next general manager of the agency. Mr. Hawkins is currently the director of the District of Columbia Department of the Environment (DDOE), a position he has held since April 2007. Mr. Hawkins is expected to begin his term at DC WASA on October 19, 2009, pending board approval of his employment contract.

“I am very pleased that after a thorough nationwide search the DC WASA Board has found in George Hawkins a forward-thinking expert on water and wastewater issues with the leadership skills, intellect, and extensive regulatory and legal background to effectively lead DC WASA forward,” said William M. Walker, Chairman of the Board. “Director Hawkins enthusiasm, environmental expertise, and local government experience will be tremendous assets to DC WASA and its customers in the District, Maryland and Virginia.”

As the new general manager, Mr. Hawkins brings more than two decades of experience in organizational leadership and environmental law to DC WASA, an agency that serves over two million people with an annual operating budget of $360 million and a 10-year capital investment plan costing more than $3.2 billion. Before joining DDOE, Mr. Hawkins served as the executive director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association in New Jersey and held several senior positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Commenting on his selection, George Hawkins said, "Water is life, so its hard to imagine a more important responsibility than the one DC WASA has in providing safe drinking water and advanced wastewater treatment services to the greater Washington area. Consumer safety and the protection of our regions natural resources are WASA priorities that I will work tirelessly to further. I am honored to be offered this position and excited by the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."

About The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) is an industry-leading authority of District government that provides drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment for a population of more than 500,000 in the District of Columbia. DC WASA also treats wastewater for a population of 1.6 million in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. The Authority operates the world’s largest advanced wastewater treatment plant, with a capacity of 370 million gallons per day and a peak daily capacity of more than a billion gallons. DC WASA’s service area covers approximately 725 square miles.