ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 4, 2015 -- WateReuse (WR), a global organization for applied research, education and advocacy on alternative water supply development, recently announced that it has appointed two new members to serve on its board of directors -- Halla Razak, the Public Utilities director for the City of San Diego; and Gilbert Trejo, PE, the chief technical officer for El Paso Water Utilities.
Both Razakand and Trego have begun service, effective this month, and will serve on the board for both the WateReuse Association 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 WR Association President Robert Johnson of McManus and Johnson Consulting.
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 square miles with a population of over 2.2 million.
Under Razak's leadership, the San Diego Public Utilities Department is currently developing a unique 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's management, leadership and creativity are also yielding astounding results for El Paso. He manages a technical services portfolio, which includes engineering, planning and development, and project and construction management for all utilities (e.g., water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and stormwater). El Paso Water Utilities is also 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.
See also:
"WateReuse merges leadership to address ongoing water challenges"
"WateReuse releases how-to guide for building acceptance of potable reuse"
About the WateReuse Research Foundation
The WateReuse Association and the WateReuse Research Foundation provide a comprehensive and complementary approach to increasing water reuse. The Association is a nonprofit coalition of utilities, government agencies and industry that advocates for laws, policies and funding to promote water reuse. The Research Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization that conducts research to improve the treatment, distribution and acceptance of water reuse. Both organizations play an important role in education. For more information, visit www.watereuse.org.
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