For his 31 years of service as chairman of the Alexandria Sanitation Authority board of directors, the city honored Edward Semonian in a surprise ceremony on Tuesday at the ASA Administration Building.

Mayor Bill Euille presented a proclamation to Semonian, who is stepping down as chairman but will remain on the board until January 2014. The lifelong Alexandria resident has served as chairman since 1979 and as a board member since 1969.

Euille credited Semonian for being largely responsible for the city's state-of-the-art water-treatment facility, which is considered one of the most advanced in the United States. 

"It takes someone dedicated and committed to talk sewage to make sure accidents don't happen and facilities are where they need to be," Euille said. "He keeps [the city council] and the city senior staff out of trouble."

Semonian, who said he thought he was simply attending a meeting on Tuesday, said he was "overwhelmed" but the ceremony, which was also attended by Vice Mayor Kerry Donley, City Manager James Hartmann and other ASA staff.

"It's been a pleasure over these years, first as a board member then as chair, overseeing improvements to the facilities," Semonian said. "At least I've helped to make some contribution to a city that has been so very good to me."

Semonian, who has also served as Alexandria's clerk of the circuit court since 1980, has missed just two board meetings in 31 years, according to new chairman Thomas Van Wagner.