Thomas H. Powers has been the Commissioner of the Department of Water Management since 2010. Late last week he announced he would be “stepping down to pursue other professional endeavors”:
“Over the last five years, Tom has overseen an historic investment in Chicago’s infrastructure that has helped to build a better Chicago, and I thank him for his service to the City,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Moving forward, Barrett Murphy’s vast knowledge of and experience within the Department make him the best choice for the job as we continue to implement our 10-year Capital Improvement Program.”
Under Commissioner Powers’ tenure, 320 miles of water main have been replaced, 77 miles of sewer main have been replaced and 198 miles of existing sewer has been lined to date under Mayor Emanuel’s Building a New Chicago program. Additionally, 72,176 water meters have been installed in Chicago homes, saving residents money and promoting water conservation.
Well, he’s been thinking about leaving for a year! Three days before this announcement, the Chicago Tribune reported, after tons of pressure had been put on city officials to test for lead in drinking water, due to long held community and activist concerns:
A top official at the Chicago Department of Public Health revealed the new program Monday during a presentation to lawyers, physicians, researchers and advocates debating how to address the city's lingering problems with lead poisoning, which continues to ravage children in poor, predominantly African-American neighborhoods on the South and West sides at rates significantly higher than the national average.
Details of the water testing program are still being worked out. But in both tone and substance, the policy change marks an abrupt shift by city officials who for years have insisted Chicagoans face little, if any, risk from drinking water distributed to thousands of homes through lead pipes.
[My emphasis]
Now, the two things may be coincidental. But, they probably are not. Are we going to discover high levels of lead in Chicago’s impoverished areas’ tap water? I don’t know. If we do is it squarely the fault of the last commissioner? Not necessarily. But resigning just days after an actual test of the Commission’s efficacy is announced is bad timing, at best.