The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $10.8 million in grant funding to support workforce development and training for drinking water and wastewater professionals across the country.
The funding comes as utilities face a shortage of qualified workers driven by anticipated retirements, aging infrastructure and the need for new technical skills to address evolving technologies and emerging threats such as cyberattacks.
“Every time Americans turn on the tap or flush the toilet, they depend on qualified and dedicated professionals in the water sector to ensure that drinking water is safe and wastewater is properly managed,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Jess Kramer, in a statement.
The funding is available through the EPA’s Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant program, which is intended to expand the pool of skilled workers available to drinking water and wastewater utilities.
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“The Trump EPA is using every tool in the toolbox, including over $10 million in new funding, to strengthen and fortify the nation’s water workforce,” Kramer added. “We are working collaboratively with states, the water sector, and local partners to advance practical, tangible, and demonstrated effective solutions.”
The program supports partnerships among federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, apprenticeship programs, labour organizations, high schools and community organizations to establish pathways into water-sector careers.
Funding will focus on four areas
- Targeted internships and apprenticeships for skilled water utility trades.
- Education programs for elementary, secondary and post-secondary students.
- Regional collaborations between industry and workforce development organizations to support the hiring of qualified workers.
- Education and training for decentralized wastewater workers, including those supporting communities that rely on private wells and septic systems.
The EPA said water utilities are facing workforce pressures while modernizing aging infrastructure. The agency also highlighted the growing need for technical and scientific expertise to strengthen water infrastructure against cyberattacks and other risks.
The funding announcement follows a recent EPA roundtable focused on recruiting and retaining water-sector workers and identifying opportunities to reduce workforce barriers and improve coordination among states.
The EPA said the latest funding also represents a near-term step toward revitalizing its 2020 Water Workforce Initiative, which was developed during the first Trump administration to support recruitment, training and retention across the sector.
The Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant program was established under the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit professional and service organizations, nonprofit labour organizations, nonprofit community colleges, higher education institutions, other nonprofit training and educational organizations, and public works departments.
In Canada, Metro Vancouver released a plan in April outlining a multi-pronged strategy to recruit, train and retain skilled workers, responding to growing concerns about labour shortages in specialized water operations roles.
