18843_Authority_Dec

municipalauthorities.org │ 47 n orth p enn w ater a uthority a nnounCeS r etireMent of l ong -t iMe e xeCutive d ireCtor , t ony B ellitto Bellitto has led the organization for more than two-and-a-half decades The North Penn Water Authority’s (NPWA) long-time Executive Director, Tony Bellitto, will retire on January 9, 2026. Since 1998, Bellitto has been at the helm of NPWA, guiding the organization and staff through periods of growth, change, and unprecedented challenges. His leadership and vision have been instrumental in shaping the organization’s success and impact within the community and the state. The Authority recognized its 60 th anniversary this year, with Bellitto having been the Executive Director for almost half of that 60-year history. During his long tenure, he has grown the Authority's customer base by 50% from about 24,000 customers to over 36,000, consuming an average of 10 million gallons of water per day. The number of miles of water main in the system has also grown by 50% from about 400 miles to 600 miles. Total water sales have doubled from 2.5 billion gallons sold per year to about five billion gallons, including bulk water sales to new large publicly owned customers. Most of the older water mains have been replaced with new piping, and new storage tanks have been constructed to keep up with the growth. All of this has been accomplished with 20% fewer employees than were employed 25 years ago, as the Authority has embraced labor-saving technologies and implemented the cross-training of staff to improve operational efficiencies. The North Penn Water Authority is today recognized as one of the premier Municipal Authorities in Pennsylvania, with a track record as one of the highest performing utilities in the state, either private or public. The Authority is also a member of the distinguished Partnership For Safe Water that is sponsored by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), which recognizes water utilities across the nation which continually exhibit excellence in water treatment and optimization of daily operational performance. Bellitto has been active with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) throughout his career and their Water For People program which focuses on international water relief projects in poor communities around the world that lack access to clean, safe drinking water and sanitary facilities. He also is a Past President of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA). He has served as a PMAA Regional Director, and has been active on several PMAA committees, dealing with a variety of challenges that are common to other authorities across Pennsylvania. Bellitto is the recipient of several awards in the water industry, including the William H. Markus Award of Excellence from PMAA, the Samuel S. Baxter Award from AWWA, the Kenneth J. Miller Water For People Award from AWWA, the Special Recognition Award from the Pennsylvania Section of AWWA, and the Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence. Bellitto began his career with North Penn Water Authority in April 1998, after relocating from Long Island, New York. He grew up in the Bronx, New York, and was formerly employed with the New York City Bureau of Water Supply. He previously worked for two different consulting engineering firms that specialized in water supply and wastewater engineering. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from Manhattan College, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. Outside of NPWA, Bellitto is a familiar face in his community, as he is an ordained Permanent Deacon at Saint Stanislaus Catholic Church in Lansdale, with a Masters Degree in Theology from Saint Charles Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He is also a certified trainer and coach with Dale Carnegie & Associates. He looks forward in retirement to getting more involved in his church ministry