The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan), the largest drinking water provider in the United States, has named Shivaji Deshmukh as its next general manager following a unanimous vote by the agency’s board of directors.
Deshmukh, a veteran water leader with more than 25 years of experience in water management and recycling, will succeed retiring general manager Deven Upadhyay to become Metropolitan’s 16th general manager in its nearly century-long history.
“Shivaji Deshmukh has worked for more than 25 years to ensure Southern California communities have reliable water,” said Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. “He has helped develop large-scale water recycling projects, forged valuable partnerships across agencies, and advanced innovative water management programs that have multiple benefits for our region and state.”
Ortega added that Deshmukh’s immediate focus will be implementing Metropolitan’s new climate adaptation strategy to manage an increasingly volatile water supply environment and addressing workforce and aging infrastructure issues.
Deshmukh currently serves as general manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and previously held leadership roles at West Basin and Orange County Water District, where he helped develop the Groundwater Replenishment System, one of California’s largest recycled water projects.
“Metropolitan Water District is part of the fabric of Southern California,” Deshmukh said. “I am thrilled to be joining this indispensable organization, particularly as it sets the course for water reliability for the next century.”
Deshmukh will join Metropolitan on November 3 as general manager-designate, working alongside Upadhyay to ensure a smooth transition before assuming full leadership on January 1, 2026.
Metropolitan, a cooperative of 26 member agencies, delivers water to nearly 19 million people across six Southern California counties and manages an annual operating and capital budget of $1.8 billion.
