From Paul Rush, Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Water Supply:
Last June I announced that the Bureau of Water Supply (BWS) would be restructured to better position us to tackle current and future challenges. The work we have done to protect our source water and ensure quality at the tap for every New Yorker is remarkable. At a meeting I attended last week with World Bank officials, the work of our team was recognized as the ‘·gold standard” for protecting water at its source. This is not by accident; it has been the hard work of each of you that has built our reputation. This reorganization is intended to strengthen us to take on the new challenges that we will face in the coming decades. Since the June announcement, the proposed organizational structure has been slightly modified and several key leaders have been selected. I am pleased to announce those selections and the new BWS organizational structure, effective July l, 2024.
Jennifer Garigliano will become Executive Director of Strategic Operations & Research (SOR), a new directorate that expands Jen’s current responsibilities as Director of Water Resources Management (WRM). As Core Services and Drinking Water Operations directorates have taken shape, I saw an opportunity to further streamline the BWS structure. The establishment of SOR, serves as an opportunity to strengthen and unify units that already work well together, with the goal of improved coordination and efficiency in areas where operations and research intersect.
SOR will include all divisions currently in WRM and several functions that will move from Planning, SWO, and WQI. Emergency Planning and Reservoir Operations will move over to SOR and will directly report to Jen. This directorate will also create a new division called Strategy, Policy, and Innovation (SPI) by combining our current Strategic Planning and Innovation & Research divisions. A key function of this directorate will be to lead the Bureau’s efforts in understanding what the future of source water protection, filtration and operations could look like as we face a myriad of challenges including a more stringent regulatory landscape and the effects of climate change. This strategic planning effort will require all hands on deck and I am confident that Jen and SOR staff will be able to work with all of you to identify and understand our critical needs for the future. Please join me in congratulating Jen on her new role!
To read Paul’s full memo about Bureau reorganization, click here.