Jerry Mistretta, Deputy Superintendent for Construction

How would you describe your job to a 5th grader?

My job as an Assistant Superintendent at Newtown Creek, working as a liaison between the plant and the contractors, requires me to work closely with the Construction Management Team members and the contractors working at the plant. This job requires careful coordination and scheduling of the construction work being performed at the plant, while still allowing the plant to continue full operation with as little negative impact as possible.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

I think that one of the most interesting aspects of my job is the working relationships I have made with the members of the Construction Management Team, the contractors and the vendors I have met over the years. With a good and respectful working relationship between the plant, Construction Management Team and contractors, the contract work has so far gone very well, important construction deadline dates have been met and both DEP and the contractors have both benefited by this mutual respect and cooperation between all parties.

What is your schedule like?

My working schedule keeps me busy all day starting at 7am and continuing until 3pm. It usually involves several meetings each day and much interaction between the contractors and me regarding ongoing and upcoming work to be done.

What is it like to work at the largest wastewater treatment plant?

It is pretty exciting to work at such a large wastewater treatment plant that has all new equipment, very high tech controls for that equipment and the new architectural design and colors used throughout the plant for buildings and other structures.

Has anything exciting happened to you on the job?

Many exciting things have happened to me while I worked here at Newtown Creek. Maybe one of the most exciting times was when we first opened what we call the North Battery of tanks. The construction work was finished, and equipment was tested, and we were scheduled to allow waste flow to these tanks within a few days. But due to certain circumstances I was forced to allow flow to these tanks one chilly and rainy Friday night in the month of October with just a small group of plant personnel and a few contractors. Usually we would have done this during the day shift with enough people to help support this endeavor but all worked out fine and so that Friday night we 'christened' the North Battery for the first time.

What is the most important aspect of your job?

One of the most important aspects of my job has to do with the acceptance of new equipment and structures after the contractors have built them and the plant is required to take them over and start using them. It requires a lot of checking and testing of this equipment to make sure the contractor provided to the City what was expected and paid for. The plant already accepted several billion dollars’ worth of structures and equipment built by the contractors that now belongs to the NYC DEP.

How long have you worked at the plant?

I have worked for the DEP for 33 years and have worked here at Newtown Creek as an Assistant Superintendent doing this same job as described above for 17 years.