Controversial Former WASA Head Going to PG County

When DC Water and Sewer Authority General Manager Jerry Johnson left the agency in April, WASAWatch hailed the news as an end to a "culture of deception, secrecy, and disregard for public health." Perhaps true for the District proper -- but in the broader Washington metropolitan area, deception, secrecy, and disregard for public health are never far from hand. Johnson has been selected by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to serve as its general manager, according to reports.

Johnson's selection comes 16 months into the beleaguered search effort, which initially settled upon David Chardavoyne, system manager for San Antonio, Texas. But Chardavoyne was passed over after it was revealed that an employee had filed a discrimination claim against him.

Johnson's administration was marked by crises magnified by negligence. The excessive lead levels in D.C. drinking water revealed in 2004 -- the greatest problem to emerge under Johnson's tenure -- were exacerbated by efforts to implement partial pipe replacements, which produced new lead shavings were the pipes were joined that flowed directly into the tap. Johnson only confused matters by telling consumers that the problem was small and that running the tap for 1–2 minutes would take care of it -- a seemingly simple solution the agency had failed to even mention for 2 years. The EPA concluded that WASA had violated federal law in failing to inform residents of the problem.

Infrastructure presented more problems than just the lead. The fire that took Georgetown Public Library might have been curbed had firefighters found working high-pressure water in the first fire hydrant they tried, rather than the fourth. Another fire, one that consumed an entire building in Adams Morgan, might have been less severe had a six-inch water main been replaced at any point in the seven years it was slated to be fixed. Two days after that fire, Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham held a public hearing to hate on WASA.

The Gazette doesn't hesitate to note the controversial nature of Johnson's selection, but they also emphasize the fact that Johnson turned the agency's finances around. Johnson inherited an $8 million deficit upon his arrival in 1996 and turned out a $170 million surplus just years later.

Yet the crucial issue facing WSSC today isn't finances -- it's infrastructure. On this front, Johnson has neither a record of efficiency nor transparency. Yanna Limbrinidou, president of the WASA watchdog group Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives, expressed her feelings about Johnson's nomination at WSSC in the form of condolences: "This is not a happy day for you guys."