The City of Arlington named its new Water Utilities director today, promoting Assistant Director Craig Cummings to the leadership role.

Cummings, with decades of experience in the water utilities industry, has served as the assistant director of water treatment for Arlington since 2014. After a nationwide search, Cummings' extensive experience and record of innovation and operational improvements made him the clear choice to lead The American Dream City's award-winning Water Utilities Department.

"Water, they say, is life, and for nearly 40 years it has been my passion, my career and my life," Cummings said. "I have been blessed with a career of incredible challenges and experiences that have provided me a remarkable skill set readily able to meet the challenges of Arlington's water utility business."

Cummings will become the director on August 6 following the retirement of Walter "Buzz" Pishkur, who has served as Arlington Water Utilities director since 2012.

Arlington Water Utilities serves more than 390,000 residents and more than 14 million visitors annually. The Water Utilities Department, with nearly 200 full-time employees, is responsible for the maintenance and operation of more than 1,200 miles of sanitary sewer main and more than 1,400 miles of water main.

During the past four years, Cummings accomplishments in Arlington Water Utilities have included a reorganization of the Treatment Division and the completion of a Facilities Optimization Plan, which was the basis for a major capital improvement plan. This includes completion of a $14 million, multi-phase project to replace ozone generators and other equipment at the Pierce-Burch and John F. Kubala Water Treatment Plants.

In addition, the utility is currently embarking on a $100 million modernization program at both water treatment facilities, which will include electrical upgrades, the replacement of the Pierce-Burch and Charles F. Anderson pump stations, chemical system improvements, filter upgrades, and the construction of new clearwells at the Pierce-Burch plant.

"Craig's wealth of experience and his commitment to managing one of our most important resources will ensure Arlington customers continue to have a reliable, high-quality water supply," City Manager Trey Yelverton said.

Arlington Water Utilities is recognized in numerous areas, including energy efficiency, water reuse, as well as regional and entrepreneurial efforts.

Cummings earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Eastern Illinois University. Before coming to Arlington, he served as the water director for the City of Bloomington, Illinois for a decade and as executive vice president and general manager of Aqua Illinois.