Deshmukh is currently general manager of Metropolitan member agency, Inland Empire Utilities Agency

Southern California water leader Shivaji Deshmukh will be the next general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the nation’s largest drinking water provider, following a unanimous vote today by the agency’s board of directors.

Deshmukh will become Metropolitan’s 16^th general manager in its nearly 100-year history, replacing retiring general manager Deven Upadhyay.

“Shivaji Deshmukh has worked for more than 25 years to ensure Southern California communities have reliable water. 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. He has overseen water operations, balanced budgets, and led workforces,” board chair Adán Ortega, Jr. said.

”And now, at Metropolitan, his charge will be to implement the groundbreaking climate adaptation strategy set by the board earlier this year to manage an increasingly volatile water supply environment. He will also address workforce and aging infrastructure issues as we plan our next biennial budget,” Ortega continued.

Deshmukh comes to Metropolitan from the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, one of Metropolitan’s 26 member agencies, where he has been general manager since 2019. Before that, he served as assistant general manager at West Basin Municipal Water District and as program manager at Orange County Water District, where he oversaw the design, construction and operation of one of the state’s first and largest recycled water projects, the Groundwater Replenishment System in Orange County.

Deshmukh is also president-elect of the WateReuse California Board of Trustees and serves on the US Water Alliance Board of Directors. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from UCLA.

“Metropolitan Water District is part of the fabric of Southern California, delivering the water supply that has helped the region grow and thrive for nearly 100 years. I am thrilled to be joining this indispensable organization, particularly as it sets the course for water reliability for the next century with critical decisions on the horizon about various water supply, storage and conveyance projects,” Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh will join Metropolitan on Nov. 3 as general manager-designate. To ensure an effective and seamless leadership transition, he will spend his first two months deepening his understanding of Metropolitan’s day-to-day operations and the agency’s strategic work on long-term water supply reliability, while working closely with Upadhyay, who began his career with Metropolitan in 1995. On Jan. 1, 2026, Deshmukh will begin as general manager.

As general manager, Deshmukh will earn an annual salary of $495,040, under the contract approved by Metropolitan’s board.

A cooperative of 26 member agencies, Metropolitan provides about half of the water used by nearly 19 million people in six Southern California counties. The district’s 5,200-square-mile service area covers most of urbanized Southern California. Metropolitan imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies. It also provides financial incentives to increase water conservation in homes and businesses and helps local agencies develop recycling, storage and other water management programs.

Headquartered adjacent to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Metropolitan has an annual operating/capital budget of $1.8 billion, about 1,700 employees and more than 30 facilities throughout Southern California.

As general manager, Deshmukh will be responsible for leading Metropolitan’s daily operations, managing its assets and resources, and overseeing its long-term vision, including implementing the policies directed by the agency’s 38-member board of directors. Deshmukh will report directly to the board, and will work with other department heads, member agencies and federal, state and local officials to carry out Metropolitan's mission to provide reliable, high-quality water to Southern California.

The board’s selection of Deshmukh comes after a five-month recruitment process.

“Our entire board dedicated a great deal of time deciding the qualities, experience and leadership style that we wanted in Metropolitan’s next leader. We have found that person in Shivaji Deshmukh,” Ortega said.

Note to editors: A photo of Shivaji Deshmukh is available upon request.

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