For the first time, a woman is in charge of the Richmond Department of Public Utilities.

The new leader of the department is April N. Bingham, it has been announced.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney promoted Ms. Bingham to the top post after she had served 10 months as deputy director of DPU’s customer service division.

“I’m truly humbled to be selected and excited by the opportunity to further improve the customer experience and to enhance DPU’s overall service delivery and workforce,” stated Ms. Bingham, who joined the department in February.

The department provides water, sewage, natural gas and streetlight services to residents and businesses and also is in charge of reducing flooding and other impacts from storms.

Among the biggest challenges ahead for her: Finding an estimated $833 million to separate Richmond’s sewer system from the rainwater drainage system in one-third of the city where the two systems are combined and result in the release of untreated wastewater into the James River during storms.

The city faces a mandatory state deadline of 2035 to accomplish that goal.

In the announcement, Mayor Stoney said he had been impressed with the work Ms. Bingham has done to restructure customer service and develop effective partnerships since becoming the deputy director.

“Her leadership during this time and the 20 years of professional experience she brings to the city make her the right choice to lead this critical public infrastructure going forward,” the mayor stated.

Ms. Bingham reports to Robert Steidel, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for operations.

Ms. Bingham will bring a different perspective in leading an agency whose past directors have largely held engineering degrees and experience. Her experience has been in administration and customer service.

Her starting salary as director: $182,866, according to the city, a record for the department and among the highest salaries among city executives. When her predecessor, Calvin D. Farr Jr., was tapped as utilities director in 2017, his starting pay was $150,000, then a department record.

Mr. Farr left Richmond in April to become the general manager and chief executive officer of the Prince William County Service Authority. Before the appointment, Alfred Scott was serving as interim director.

Mr. Scott previously has been deputy director for gas and streetlights under Mr. Farr.

He will remain a member of Ms. Bingham’s executive team as director of Richmond Gas Works, the name of DPU’s natural gas utility.

Ms. Bingham spent part of her career with the Washington, D.C., Water & Sewer Authority and, as deputy program manager, oversaw the authority’s $33 million program to upgrade meters.