Sandy’s Public Utilities director will be on paid administrative leave as independent investigators look into the city’s response to a fluoride pump malfunction that contaminated parts of the municipality’s water supply.
Tom Ward announced his decision to step away from the job during a nearly two-minute-long news conference on Wednesday. Mayor Kurt Bradburn stood beside Ward and said he supported the decision.
“It’s important that we allow this fact gathering process to play out, and the best way to do that is through an independent investigation. Tom will be put on paid administrative leave until we get a better understanding of exactly what happened,” Bradburn said.