Clean Water Current

(June 26, 2018) – NACWA was well-represented at an event hosted by the Brookings Institute on June 21 to discuss water workforce issues.  The gathering was built around the recent release of a report entitled, Renewing the Water Workforce: Improving Water Infrastructure and Creating a Pipeline to Opportunity, that provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of jobs involved in the construction, operation, and maintenance of the country’s water infrastructure.

NACWA Board of Directors members Kishia Powell, Commissioner of the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, and Andy Kricun, Executive Director and Chief Engineer of the Camden County (NJ) Municipal Utilities Authority, participated on a panel discussion.  They both highlighted ways in which their utilities are working to address workforce issues, both in terms of recruitment and retention of skilled employees but also how they are working to provide good, high paying jobs to residents of their local communities.

Separately, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, participated in the event and shared his views on the importance of strong investment in the nation’s water resources and water workforce.

NACWA is working closely with EPA and other stakeholders in the water sector to advance discussions around water workforce issues and believes the recent report from Brookings can serve as a very helpful resource in these important conversations.