New CEO set for Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

Sandkulla was the second CEO in the agency’s 20-year history and worked within BAWSCA since its inception. 

Throughout her tenure, Sandkulla took seriously the legislatively-mandated mission to protect water customers in the region, she said, building relationships with nearby San Francisco entities like the Public Utilities Commission as well as BAWSCA’s own 26 member agencies. Those include, cities, local water districts and two private entities. 

“We are working together for the customers, in a lot of ways, and the agency has become stronger in who it is to represent [member] agencies and water customers, becoming a stronger regional voice,” she said. “We have become an agency that effectively does planning for this region for water supplies.” 

She managed the agency through two droughts, leading negotiations for drought supplies among member agencies and ensuring all voices were heard. Now more than ever, water is an incredibly valuable resource that BAWSCA is working to ensure remains reliable at a fair price, Sandkulla said. 

“In this region, at least, we all seem to be recognizing we are undergoing climate change, and it’s impacting our environment around us. It’s certainly impacting our water supply,” she said. 

Now, Smegal will spearhead that mission. He’s served in various roles at Cal Water — the second-largest retail water provider in the state — over 27 years, including vice president, CFO and treasurer, according to a Sept. 20 BAWSCA press release. During that time, he worked on issues including drought, water supply and emergency response. 

He’s excited to take on the agency’s Strategy 2050 planning process, which will look at new tactics and strategies for BAWSCA to ensure reliable supply of high-quality water at a fair price. 

“The primary goal of the agency is to work with the city and county of San Francisco on those efforts … as a result of that planning process, there may be local initiatives that we can take,” he said. 

The direction that could be taken in terms of specific initiatives is still being studied, Sandkulla said, pointing to usage of recycled water and the process of desalination — removing salt from water to make it suitable for drinking — as possible points of interest. 

“Those are the things we’re studying right now. No decisions have been made,” she said. “Water projects like these don’t take years, they take decades.” 

As Smegal enters the CEO role, he’ll focus on interfacing with local leaders, customers and other agencies, he said. 

“It’s really getting those connections, understanding what people want from BAWSCA,” he said.