DC Water’s CEO Oversaw $520 Million In DEI Contracts — And The Biggest Sewage Spill In US History

By Derek Vanbuskirk

While hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage accumulated in its pipes, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority was focused on diversity, equity and other left-wing priorities — setting the stage for what may be the largest sewage spill in American history.

DC Water CEO David L. Gadis has championed equity and diversity throughout his tenure. He was also named in a lawsuit against his former employer for allegedly withholding information about water contamination in Flint, Michigan. (RELATED: Editor Daily Rundown: Trump Deploys FEMA To Help Clean Up Poop-Filled River)

Before joining DC Water in 2018, Gadis served as executive vice president of Veolia North America and CEO of Veolia Water Indianapolis — the utility’s first black CEO and the first black executive to lead a major Indianapolis utility, according to his bio. It touts his partnership with municipal leaders and his leadership on diversity initiatives.

That reputation faced scrutiny in 2018. An amended class action lawsuit cited a Veolia statement in which Gadis promised the company would deploy its “technical expertise” to “ensure water quality for the people of the city of Flint,” touting experience with challenging water sources and contaminant management. The suit claims residents had “every reason to rely” on Veolia’s subsequent assurances of safety.

Veolia told the public that Flint’s discolored drinking water resulted from an old unlined cast iron pipe — when it actually contained dangerous levels of lead, the city’s former mayor testified in 2022, according to MLive Media Group.

Emails later revealed Veolia officials knew problems extended beyond discoloration and foul odors, noting that “lead seems to be a problem.” Those emails were exchanged a day before a private meeting where lead went unmentioned, MLive reported. Gadis was copied on emails discussing potential lead issues before attending a public meeting where Veolia officials repeatedly assured residents the water was safe.

“We had greenish and brownish water. It smelled weird. It was giving people rashes and they were losing hair. Patients were asking, ‘Was it OK to use this tap water to mix their babies’ formula?’” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, an associate dean for public health at Michigan State University, told NPR, which reported in 2024 that many Flint residents still lack clean water a decade later.

By February 2025, Veolia had contributed $79.3 million to settlements with Michigan and roughly 26,000 individual claimants. The company maintains it “stands behind its good work in Flint,” noting that a months-long 2022 trial ended in a mistrial with no adverse finding. Gadis joined DC Water before the settlement was reached.

Before Gadis arrived, DC Water was considered a global role model, commanding one of the highest reputations in the water sector, according to World’s Leaders. Gadis sought to take the authority to “the next level” by prioritizing equity for employees, customers, communities, and contractors — an effort CIO Views recognized when it named him one of the 10 Most Influential Black Corporate Leaders of 2022. (RELATED: Goldman Sachs Reportedly Plans To Axe DEI Criteria For Board Members)

Part of that effort, ironically, includes “Lead-Free DC,” which Gadis says incorporates “community equity considerations” into its “project prioritization process.”

“I want to win for our community by extending water equity to every customer, including the eradication of lead pipes within the district,” Gadis told CIO Views.

Under Gadis, DC Water also pursued “Fair Share Objectives” to boost participation from disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned business enterprises — an effort originally driven by EPA threats to pull federal funding from authorities that failed to show “good faith” compliance.

To reinforce those goals, DC Water created the Business Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council and established bidding preferences for disadvantaged and women-owned contractors on projects over $1 million. Under its 2020 amended Business Development Plan, such contractors cannot be penalized for falling short of project goals if they demonstrate “good faith” effort.

In fiscal year 2024, disadvantaged and women-owned enterprises received 38.65% of total awards — roughly $520 million of nearly $1.33 billion, according to January 2025 board minutes.

The EPA suspended its Fair Share objectives in April following Trump administration pressure. Though no longer enforced, DC Water’s website still lists three-year goals of awarding 32% of construction contracts and 28% of architectural and engineering services to minority enterprises, with additional carve-outs for women-owned firms.

DC Water did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request to confirm whether it still pursues those goals or how many preferred contractors failed to meet project benchmarks.

Gadis’s tenure is now defined not by successful equity programs, but the historic spillage of millions of gallons of sewage into the Potomac River.

President Donald Trump called the contamination “a massive ecological disaster” on Monday, blaming “the gross mismanagement of local Democrat leaders” and directing federal authorities to intervene.

“I cannot allow incompetent Local ‘Leadership’ to turn the River in the Heart of Washington into a Disaster Zone,” Trump said. “As we saw in the Palisades, the Democrat War on Merit has real consequences.”

The spill began nearly a month ago, with 300 million gallons of bacteria-laden sewage entering the river. Echoing the Flint ordeal, DC Water admitted on Feb. 9 that it made a critical error in reporting E. coli levels — minimizing contamination by more than 100 times, the Caller reported.

DC Water has not responded to the Caller’s request for comment on Gadis’s past or his handling of the spill.