Trenton, N.J. — Trenton Water Works announced today that Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora has appointed Steven J. Picco as interim director of the Department of Water and Sewer.
Beginning Monday, Mr. Picco will continue the work of reorganizing the water utility while the Gusciora administration completes a national search for a permanent director. Mr. Picco replaces former Director Shing-Fu Hsueh, Ph.D., P.E., P.P., who completed his tenure on Friday, September 13.
“Trenton Water Works has achieved some important milestones since I took office,” said Mayor Gusciora. “The water utility has restored high water quality, launched critical capital projects, and improved both internal and external communications. But we’ve still got our work cut out for us.”
An accomplished executive and strategic thinker with nearly 40 years experience in the environmental industry, including water assets and national water policy, Mr. Picco was an Assistant Commissioner at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Energy. Today, he is Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, a multifaceted government entity that is responsible for supplying water to more the 2 million New Jersey residents.
As he begins the top job at the city's Department of Water and Sewer, Mr. Picco plans to prepare the water utility to take on millions in needed capital projects by auditing TWW’s books. This audit will help TWW achieve financial objectives, complete the reorganization of staff and departments, improve customer service, increase the rate of collection of accounts, and ensure that the utility continues to meet federal and state water-quality expectations.
Trenton Water Works is among the largest publicly owned, urban water utilities in the United States. It supplies an average of 27 million gallons of Delaware River-sourced drinking water per day to 63,000 metered customers. It services more than 200,000 people in Trenton, parts of Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township and Hopewell Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. Established more than 200 years ago, TWW operates a 60-million-gallon water-filtration plant and water-distribution system that includes a 100-million-gallon reservoir. TWW’s system has 683 miles of water mains varying in size from 4 to 48 inches in diameter, three pump stations, and six interconnections between TWW and other water suppliers.
Media Contact: Michael Walker (609) 789-7272 Email