Who We Are
Aklile Tesfaye, P.E., DEE
Aklile Tesfaye
Director, Department of Wastewater Treatment
Aklile Tesfaye is Director of Wastewater Treatment for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water). Mr. Tesfaye is responsible for the operation of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant at Blue Plains, the largest of its kind in the world, with a capacity of 370 million gallons per day and a peak daily capacity of more than a billion gallons. He is responsible for managing a staff of 90 and a budget of approximately $60 million. Blue Plains has been a leader in environmental stewardship, and in restoring the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.
Mr. Tesfaye has more than 23 years of professional experience in environmental engineering and management including 16 years with DC Water. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Blue Plains plant, Mr. Tesfaye served as Environmental Engineer and Manager within the Wastewater Treatment Department of DC Water. He is a recipient of professional awards including the Water Environment Federation's William D. Hatfield Award and the Schroepfer Medal for professionalism in wastewater treatment.
Mr. Tesfaye holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil from the University of Roorkee - India (now Indian Institute of Technology [IIT] ), Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Tampere University of Technology - Finland; and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Maryland - College Park. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), American Academy of Environmental Engineers Board Certified Environmental Engineer (DEE), Licensed Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, and Certified Environmental Safety and Health Trainer (CET).