The District of Columbia’s Water and Sewer Authority’s board of directors voted Friday to remove CEO David Gadis after months of criticism surrounding his handling of a January sewage spill that released more than 240 million gallons of raw wastewater into the Potomac River.The decision came one day after the district’s leading mayoral candidates, socialist Janeese Lewis George and centrist Kenyan McDuffie, disagreed at a Thursday night debate about whether or not Gadis should be fired.They were asked directly by News4’s Mark Segraves whether they think Gadis should remain as CEO of DC Water.
Lewis George paused before responding “no,” while McDuffie stated he “doesn’t have enough information to make that decision,” but the “person responsible should be gone.”
Lewis George, a liberal councilwoman, will face the pro-business councilman-at-large in a primary election on June 16. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced last November she would not seek reelection.
The two have sparred over youth curfews and crime policy, and Lewis George has the support of many local unions, while McDuffie is endorsed by many business trade groups. Lewis George leads McDuffie by eleven percentage points among likely Democratic voters in the latest polling.
