VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The man who helped to oversee what could be considered one of the most significant accomplishments in Virginia Beach history will now officially have his name attached to it.

On Tuesday night, Virginia Beach City Council passed a resolution that the pump station, cleverly designed to look like lakehouse on the banks of Lake Gaston in Brunswick County, will be renamed the Thomas M. Leahy Municipal Pump Station to honor the longtime city employee, who retires at the end of the summer.

“You’re a real hero to the City of Virginia Beach,” said Councilman Louis Jones, who was mayor when the Lake Gaston pipeline project was first approved in 1982. “We all appreciate you … congratulations on your career.”

Leahy was project manager for the $150-million, 76-mile Lake Gaston pipeline project that allowed for 60 million gallons of fresh water to be pumped to Virginia Beach each day. Jones mentioned until the completion of the project in the late 90s, the city was forced to restrict water and placed a moratorium on new home construction for five consecutive years.

“What an honor it was to work with you,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said, addressing Leahy. “Virginia Beach has been regarded as the third best-run city in this nation and it’s because of folks like you.”

Leahy served as director of Public Utilities and was promoted to deputy city manager in 2016.

Leahy was originally slated to retire in January after nearly 40 years of working for the City of Virginia Beach. He agreed to take the role of acting city manager following the resignation of former City Manager Dave Hansen last August. On Monday, Leahy stepped down from that post following the appointment of Patrick Duhaney as the new city manager.

“I did not expect this,” Leahy, 67, said upon hearing the resolution Tuesday. “I owe this city so much … I didn’t think I would be here for 40 years.”

He thanked his fellow employees and his wife Pam before giving council advice moving forward.

“I know you got some challenges in the future. If you get together like you got behind Lake Gaston, you’ll whip every one of them. Flood control, COVID-19, the social issues, you will overcome them if you get together and put the kind of support you gave me back then,” Leahy said staring to choke up. “I thought I was going to make it through this … It’s been a fantastic 40 years.”

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