Bio
Over one billion gallons of high quality drinking water flows into New York City daily. For the more than eight million residents who safely consume this water, they can thank Steven Schindler, who has been Director of Water Quality at DEP since 2003. A scientist and public servant, Mr. Schindler has scaled up the Bureau of Water Supply’s laboratory and research capabilities. He and his team conduct millions of water quality tests annually both in New York City and the upstate watershed. This allows the Bureau to identify new contaminants and water quality issues before they become problems. His proactive approach has saved the City billions of dollars, including the need for a water filtration plant. As one City regulator noted, “Steve Schindler is the most outstanding individual I’ve ever worked with. He is unconcerned with anything other than ensuring the health of the public.” In 2011, Hurricane Irene had the potential to completely overwhelm the upstate reservoir system and water supply but Steve and his team kept clean water flowing uninterrupted to New York City.