Demoted former water system chief retires

Though his was the name associated with water in Fayette County for more than two decades, Tony Parrott is no longer employed with the Fayette County Water System.

Less than two years after a series of incidents that led to his demotion from the director’s position in that department, he announced his retirement last month in a letter to his superiors.

“I am giving notice that I plan to retire February 27, 2015,” Parrott wrote in a statement to county manager Steve Rapson dated Feb. 2.

Rapson confirmed last week that Parrott’s last day was Feb. 28 and that he left the county of his own accord and was not terminated. A long-time county employee over the age of 60, Parrott has been eligible for county retirement benefits for quite some time.

Sources told The Citizen in the past month that an inquiry by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office regarding Parrott’s license had been transferred to the Attorney General’s office, and that he may have been in danger of losing the certification necessary to continue in his job.

Parrott had a Water Operator Class I license, according to Rapson. County officials received no notification from any state agency that Parrott’s certification was in jeopardy, Rapson added.

His retirement comes 18 months after he was demoted from director of the Water System to the position of water treatment plant operator, a move that at the time slashed his $118,444-per-year salary in half.

In the summer of 2013 Parrott was suspended two weeks without pay and placed on a performance improvement plan after taste and odor problems lasting for several weeks and other issues that led to the closing of two of the county’s water treatment plants.

A sanitary survey conducted by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in June of that year listed 10 violations of Georgia’s safe drinking water rules and another 141 deficiencies in the system including equipment that needed to be repaired or replaced at both of the county’s water treatment plants.

Parrott’s demotion was announced Sept. 9 of that year as Rapson cited “inadequate performance of responsibilities as the water system director,” saying that he had not moved quickly enough on items outlined in the performance improvement plan.

As a result of the 2013 water troubles, which inconvenienced a large number of residents and forced restaurants to hand out bottled water instead of tap water, the EPD recommended that Parrott and four other water system employees be investigated as to whether they “may have practiced fraud or deception,” or instead are “incompetent or unable to perform their duties properly.”