05/21/2026
Joe Garavelli discusses sewage, chlorine levels, pump hours and water tanks with the same passion some display for baseball statistics or Civil War-era history. “I really enjoy what I do,” said Garavelli, the Water Superintendent/Assistant Chief Wastewater Operator for the village of Castleton-on-Hudson. Garavelli grew up in the village and studied architectural technology at Hudson Valley Community College.
“The degree I earned from there was before architecture was on the computer and just AutoCAD and drafting,” he said. “I took soils, concrete engineering — a well-rounded study. ”The more he learned in college, the more he realized the issues his hometown faced.
“The need for clean water solutions, technological advancements, all these were things the village were really lacking in,” Garavelli said. “It really drew me to pursue networking through the board and trustees to try to get my way in, to prove I have the knowledge and experience in ways to advance the village and improve the quality of water.”
He worked in architecture and construction for a time, then saw an entry-level laborer position open in the village. He applied, got the job and spent the next four years learning the nitty-gritty of daily operations. When his boss decided to retire, Garavelli decided it was time to move up the ladder.
SUNY Adirondack’s Office of Continuing Education’s Workforce Development program offered the classes he needed to take that step.
He made the 90-minute commute to campus three nights a week, taking courses in Basic Wastewater Operations, Activated Sludge and Basic Lab.
Now, Castleton-on-Hudson’s wastewater treatment plant is undergoing a $7.5 million upgrade, a project Garavelli said will further ensure the quality of the village’s water and help keep its discharge — and, in turn, the Hudson River — clean. “The impact I can have in this position intrigued me,” he said. “I like providing for the community I grew up in.”
