California Association of Sanitation Agencies

Gary W. Darling
President

Gary has been General Manager at Delta Diablo Sanitation District (DDSD) since 2003. He has a long and varied career in water management and environmental stewardship with developing new sustainable water and energy resources for the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes serving as the program manager on the $450 million Los Vaqueros Reservoir project, which was completed on budget and won the 1999 American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Achievement Award, as well as the program manager for the $650 million Freeport water project during the environmental review phase. While at DDSD, the agency has taken the lead role in several Bay Area coalitions including the 14 agency Bay Area Recycle Water Coalition, the 16 agency Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition, as well as the 11 agency East County Water Management Association. As part of DDSD’s wastewater treatment facility, Gary oversees one of the largest industrial recycled water plants in California. He is often invited to speak at industry conferences, such as General Electric’s Leadership Summit: From Used to Useful held in New York where more than 100 international and U.S. delegates addressed global recycle water initiatives, challenges, and opportunities. A graduate of the University of California, Davis, Gary is a registered professional civil engineer. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Walnut Creek with their two children.