The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is revitalizing its Water Workforce Initiative, originally launched in 2020, to address a growing shortage of qualified workers across the drinking water and wastewater sectors. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer announced the effort at a Washington, D.C. roundtable with water sector leaders during Water Week.
The initiative aims to connect individuals to water sector careers, expand public awareness, develop apprenticeship and education programs, and invest in current workers' skills — particularly as retirements accelerate and modern systems demand new technical competencies including cybersecurity.