Assistant Civil Engineer - Inspector

About the role

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) protects public health and the environment by supplying clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP delivers more than 1.1 billion gallons per day of the highest quality drinking water to 8.5 million NYC residents and more than 1 million people in Upstate New York, and has a wastewater conveyance and treatment system capable of processing over 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater per day to protect the environment and the city's surrounding waterways. New York City has approximately 150,000 catch basins, 114,000 hydrants, 90,000 valves, 14 gatehouses, 3 reservoirs, 68 groundwater wells, a 100 million gallon underground storage tank and 7,000 miles each of both sanitary sewers and water mains. The responsibility of maintaining these vast networks falls under the Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations (BWSO). The primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations are: the operation, maintenance and protection of the City's drinking water and wastewater collection (sewer) systems; the protection of adjacent waterways; and the development and protection of the Department's Capital Water and Sewer Design Program. The Bureau also approves and inspects water and sewer connections performed by licensed plumbers and/or authorized contractors. In addition, the Bureau has overall responsibility for the approval and inspection of all public and private construction projects which could impact on the City's water or sewer systems. The Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations' Division of Construction Management - Connections Unit is seeking to hire Inspectors to support the Department's accelerated housing and infrastructure initiatives under the City of Yes zoning reforms and the Mayor's SPEED initiative. Under direct supervision, with limited latitude for independent judgment, selected candidates will perform engineering work of moderate difficulty and responsibility in support of water and sewer permitting, construction compliance, and public infrastructure protection, including but not limited to the following: - Conducting field inspections of sewer and water connection work performed by licensed plumbers, contractors, and developers to ensure compliance with DEP standards, approved permits and engineering plans. - Conducting inspections to ensure that construction work, materials, and work performed by licensed plumbers or contractors comply fully with current DEP standards and specifications. - Maintaining accurate and detailed records of inspections and site visits; document findings objectively and comprehensively to support sound engineering conclusions. - Participating in professional meetings with Design Engineers, Professional Engineers, Licensed Plumbers, and Contractors, as well as internal unit staff, to discuss project progress, resolve issues, and ensure alignment with regulatory standards. - Engaging in engineering studies, investigations, and examinations relevant to the operations of the Connections Unit. - Inspecting certified sewer connection installations, site connection work, and related infrastructure associated with affordable housing developments, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and rezoning-driven construction projects. - Verifying that construction materials, workmanship, excavation practices, and installation methods conform to current DEP specifications and approved engineering documents. - Reviewing field conditions and identifying conflicts, deficiencies, unauthorized work, or non-compliant installations that may impact on the City's water distribution or wastewater collection systems. - Maintaining accurate, detailed, and timely inspection records, field reports, photographs, and documentation utilizing DEP permitting and inspection systems, including PARIS and related digital platforms. - Supporting expedited permit processing and inspection operations associated with the SPEED initiative by assisting in reducing inspection delays and improving turnaround times for Certificates of Occupancy and permit approvals. - Participating in meetings with Professional Engineers, Registered Architects, Licensed Master Plumbers, contractors, developers, and DEP personnel to discuss inspection findings, project status, compliance issues, and corrective measures. - Assisting in investigating complaints, emergencies, illegal connections, damaged infrastructure conditions, and field issues affecting water and sewer operations. - Reviewing approved plans, permits, sketches, and engineering documents prior to inspections to ensure field work is performed in accordance with approved designs and regulatory requirements. - Assisting with the implementation of process improvements, enhanced inspection tracking procedu