Steve Askew concisely sums up the challenge
of running New York City's North River Wastewater Treatment Plant: "We're a 28-acre, $2 billion piece of concrete, processing millions of gallons of wastewater every day, 500 feet away from tens of thousands of people on Manhattan's West Side."
Askew, the plant's superintendent and chief operator, meets that and more specific challenges daily with expert help from a staff of 125, all but about 20 under his supervision. For them, it's about making a difference — and it's easy to make the case that they have done so.
"In the
