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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Water issued an August 2024 report tilted:
Interagency Water Workforce Working Group Report to Congress (“Report”).
See EPA 810-R-24-004.
Via America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (“AWIA”) Section 4304, as amended by Section 50211 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (“IIJA”), the United States Congress directed the EPA to establish and coordinate a federal interagency working group focusing on the following:
- Drinking water utility workforce.
- Wastewater utility workforce.
The working group includes representatives from the following five federal agencies and was co-chaired by staff from EPA’s Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water and Office of Wastewater Management. The agencies include:
- EPA.
- United States Department of Labor.
- United States Department of Veteran Affairs.
- United States Department of Agriculture.
- United States Department of Education.
Drinking water and wastewater utilities are noted to be key institutions that:
- Protect the environment.
- Provide services that are vital to the health, safety, and economies of communities.
The previously referenced legislation acknowledges Congress’s concern that the drinking water and wastewater utility workforces are vital to maintaining this infrastructure.
The objective of the Report is stated as providing a:
…summary of the Working Group’s efforts and serves as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to recruitment, retention, and training of water utilities workers.
The key sections of the Report include:
- Overview of the Federal Interagency Water Workforce Working Group.
- Water Workforce Overview: Key Pillars and Challenges.
- Federal Efforts to Develop the Water Workforce.
- Stakeholder Organization Water Workforce Efforts.
- Findings of Federal Interagency Water Workforce Working Group.
The appendices include:
- Rosters.
- Agendas of Meetings of the Interagency Water Workforce Working Group.
- Summary of Federal Efforts to Develop the Water Workforce.
- Bibliography.
A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.
