NEW YORK — The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has named Jennifer Garigliano as the new deputy commissioner of its Bureau of Water Supply, placing a 14-year agency veteran at the helm of the nation’s largest municipal water network.
Garigliano’s appointment was announced Aug. 6 by DEP Commissioner Lisa Garcia. In her new role, Garigliano will oversee nearly 1,000 employees responsible for managing and safeguarding a vast system that delivers more than one billion gallons of drinking water daily to nearly 10 million people across the city and state.
Reflecting on her promotion, Garigliano expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside her colleagues and steward a public system built and maintained over nearly two centuries. She emphasized her commitment to collaborating with agency partners and regional stakeholders throughout the watershed as she steps into the leadership post.
Garigliano’s tenure with the environmental agency began in 2012, when she served as chief of staff to former Deputy Commissioner Paul V. Rush, who retired in June after 20 years leading the bureau.
Most recently, Garigliano served as the executive director of strategic operations and research. Over her decade-plus career at the agency, her portfolio has spanned reservoir operations, water quality modeling, wholesale water programs, and emergency planning. She has also directed long-term strategy for the city’s Filtration Avoidance Determination—a key federal regulatory framework that allows New York to operate the largest unfiltered municipal water supply in the United States.
A West Point graduate and decorated Army veteran, Garigliano previously commanded military units specialized in defense against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats, and completed a deployment to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Her appointment drew praise from upstate community leaders, including Ric Coombe, chairperson of the Coalition of Watershed Towns. Coombe expressed optimism about her promotion, noting that her extensive background under Rush, her military experience, and her local roots make her well-equipped to step into the role. He added that upstate town leaders look forward to working with her during ongoing regulatory negotiations over the watershed’s filtration avoidance status.
