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Are You Prepared to Handle Labor Shortages in Your Water Utilities?By Sandra Fallon and Mark Kemp, National Environmental Services Center

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By now, we!ve all "eard a#out t"e droves o$ #a#y #oomers %ettin% ready to retire& 't!s an issue

t"at will a$$ect all workplaces to one de%ree or anot"er, and it looks to #e particularly severe $or

water and wastewater utilities& Nationwide, almost "al$ o$ t"ese workers will #e eli%i#le to retirewit"in t"e net 1) years& 't!s an issue t"at most pu#lic o$$icials and utilities "aven!t considered

ade*uately and aren!t prepared to "andle&

+"ile water and wastewater utilities will lose #ot" operators and en%ineers, operators represent

t"e most ur%ent sta$$in% need and are t"e $ocus o$ t"is article& "ese workers are trained

pro$essionals wit" an enormous amount o$ responsi#ility $or sa$e%uardin% t"e pu#lic "ealt" andt"e environment& +e depend on t"em to provide clean, sa$e drinkin% water to our communities

and treat our wastewater so t"at it can #e sa$ely released #ack into local waterways& "eir e$$orts

ensure t"at we "ave t"e amount o$ water we need, w"en we need it, nonstop around-t"e-clock&"e pendin% wave o$ retirin% operators poses two central c"allen%es $or utilities and t"ose w"o

oversee t"ese community services. (1 "ow do we replace t"e workers w"o will leave over t"enet several years and (/ "ow do we capture t"e knowled%e and eperience t"at t"ese people"ave0 ur response to t"is situation will "ave lon%-standin% implications $or utilities and

communities, lar%e and small&

wo key reportsWorkforce Planning for Water UtilitiesSuccessful Recruiting, Training, andRetaining of Operators and Engineers, and Succession Planning for a Vital Workforce in the

Information geeamine water and wastewater utility work$orce issues ando$$er practical and

encoura%in% recommendations $or addressin% t"e pendin% crisis& Some "i%"li%"ts o$ t"erecommendations are #elow&

Actively Recruit Operators fro !raditional and "e# Pools of Applicants2tilities must acti!el"recruit operators $rom traditional sources, suc" as "i%" sc"ools and

community colle%es, as well as $rom new, untapped la#or pools suc" as older workers, displaced

workers, and military veterans& 3lt"ou%" some o$ t"e most e$$ective recruitin% strate%ies $or

operators continue to #e employee re$errals, 'nternet 4o# sites, and newspapers, active ande$$ective recruitin% %oes #eyond t"ese approac"es& 't re*uires reac"in% out and $osterin% #etter

relations"ips wit" t"ese la#or pools, in ot"er words, developin% a competitive ed%e in attractin%

t"ese workers& 2tilities can, $or eample.

5artner wit" sc"ools $rom t"e elementary to colle%e level to provide eposure to and

develop students! interest in water industry careers& "is can include sponsorin% summer

camps, partnerin% $or $ield trips or classroom activities, and workin% wit" sc"ool placement

o$$ices to %ain access to potential applicants& Form alliances wit" %roups t"at work wit" or represent new pools o$ applicants suc" as

military veterans and retired or older workers #y colla#oratin% on trainin% opportunities,

advertisin% t"rou%" t"eir pu#lications or +e# sites, or participatin% in 4o# $airs&

Monitor plant closin%s and ot"er economic activities in your area or re%ion to identi$y

potential candidates&

2se creative work arran%ements suc" as recruitin% and re-"irin% people w"o "ave retired

$rom your $acility, and o$$erin% #onuses or rewards $or employee re$errals&

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$prove %ployee RetentionMakin% sure your operators are en%a%ed and committed to your or%ani6ation increases t"elikeli"ood t"at t"ey!ll stay and reduces t"e need $or recruitin%& o improve retention.

Make compensation competitive wit" ot"er entities you compete wit" $or employees&

$$er an apprentices"ip pro%ram $or developin% operators, eit"er alone or in con4unction

wit" ot"er utilities or educational institutions, and ensure t"at employees receive up-to-date

leaders"ip and tec"nical trainin%& Make sure t"e operators you want to retain understand "ow t"ey are re%arded #y your

or%ani6ation& 7eco%ni6e employees $or t"eir accomplis"ments&

2nderstand and meet t"e needs and interests o$ all workers, includin% older and youn%er

workers, women, and disa#led and culturally diverse workers, and promote acceptance,provide c"allen%in% work, reco%ni6e t"e importance o$ trainin% and skill development, and

o$$er opportunities $or employee input and career %rowt"&

7etain older workers t"rou%" p"ased-retirement approac"es, w"ic" can include allowin%

t"em to delay retirement or work part-time, and re-"ire retirees on a consultin% #asis&

&apture !acit 'no#ledge

+"en operators leave or retire, t"ey take wit" t"em years o$ eperience, in$ormation, and lessonslearned a#out runnin% your utility& Capture t"at tacit knowled%e in any way you can8eit"er

t"rou%" $ormal knowled%e mana%ement processes, or #y documentin% it, writin% it down, and

enlistin% *uali$ied eperienced workers or retirees to train or mentor less eperienced workers&perators need to know a#out all plant processes and e*uipment, includin% operations,

maintenance, emer%ency plannin%, workin% wit" t"e #oard or city council8t"e nuts and #olts o$

t"e system as well as its stren%t" and weaknesses& 5reventin% t"is loss o$ institutional knowled%esaves time and money, keeps operations runnin% smoot"ly, and "elps ease work$orce transitions&

Proote a Positive $age of Your Utilities7aisin% awareness a#out your water utilities can "elp create name reco%nition and an

understandin% o$ t"e environmental si%ni$icance o$ your work& 5otentially it can result inemployees seekin% employment wit" you& Some o$ t"e many strate%ies include advertisin% on#uses, #ill#oards, and t"e 'nternet, participatin% in or sponsorin% community events suc" as

nei%"#or"ood or 4o# $airs, colla#oratin% wit" local %roups or "ostin% your own pu#lic education

seminars on water topics& Be sure to alert t"e local media a#out your positive community e$$orts&

&raft Sall Syste SolutionsSmall utilities o$ten lack t"e personnel and resources to take on new pro4ects suc" as t"ose

identi$ied a#ove& owever, %ainin% support $rom local leaders and developin% creativepartners"ips wit" near#y utilities to, $or eample, s"are employees, colla#orate on work$orce

plannin%, or raise pu#lic awareness can "elp ensure success& 3dmittedly, t"e prospect o$

simultaneously %ettin% new personnel on #oard and tryin% to capture t"e collected wisdom o$t"ose leavin% is a dauntin% one& "e demo%rap"ic c"an%es we $ace are comple and won!t

necessarily #e remedied t"rou%" *uick, simple steps& Nevert"eless, it!s important to %et started

sooner t"an later& "ese e$$orts will ultimately lead to a deeper understandin% o$ our utilities, a

#etter eperience $or system personnel, and con$idence t"at we won!t compromise t"e *uality o$li$e or pu#lic "ealt" o$ our communities&

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References and ResourcesWorkforce Planning for Water UtilitiesSuccessful Recruiting, Training, and Retaining ofOperators and Engineers(/)): (Catalo% No& 91/;@:)AA +7F su#scri#ers can order $rom :::-:-?):/ or

"ttp.==www&waterresearc"$oundation&or%=researc"=opics3nd5ro4ects=pro4ect5ro$ile&asp0pn@/:?)

Succession Planning for a Vital Workforce in the Information ge(/))? (Catalo% No& 91)9)&5rovides %uidance and in$ormation a#out t"e upcomin% water utility work$orce s"orta%e,

implementin% work$orce plannin%, and documentin% tacit knowled%e& Sponsored #y t"e

3merican +ater +orks 3ssociation 7esearc" Foundation, now t"e +ater 7esearc" Foundation

(+7F, and t"e +ater Environment 7esearc" Foundation&5u#lis"ed #y +7F and 3merican+ater +orks 3ssociation (3++3& 3vaila#le $or purc"ase $rom 3++3 at

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