WE&T‘s May 2024 Operator Essentials column highlights what every operator should know about workforce development. Read more.

Kouao-Eric Ekoue is superintendent of New Brunswick Water Utility and received the 2024 Harold V. Florence, Jr., Meritorious Operator Award presented by the AWWA New Jersey Section.  Learn more about this water champion by clicking here.

Across the United States, water and wastewater utilities are challenged with managing aging infrastructure, tight budgets, and understaffing — not to mention rising retirements and a shrinking talent pool. Many organizations believe they lack the resources to do succession planning or focus on workforce development, but it can be done. This article looks at two …

Continue reading “Tapping the Talent Pipeline: Developing the next generation of leaders in your organization”

AWWA’s board includes four directors at large (DAL). At the board’s January 2024 meeting, members approved a proposed change to the AWWA bylaws to designate one DAL position for an active AWWA member age 35 or younger. Another DAL position is designated for a service provider volunteer, and the other two do not have any …

Continue reading “AWWA designates board seat to include next generation of leaders”

Aging water infrastructure and the ability to secure financing for capital improvements continue to be among the top challenges that North American water systems grapple with, according to the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) newly-released 2024 State of the Water Industry (SOTWI) report. Follow the link to download your copy of the State of the Water …

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From the start of the standing room-only Opening General Session on October 2, one thing was clear: Attendees were in for an immersive experience. This innovative look at culture, music, and storytelling began with a welcome from hip-hop artist Benny Starr, Senior Fellow of Arts and Culture at the U.S. Water Alliance (Washington, D.C.), who …

Continue reading “Bringing People to the Center of Water”

By any measure, Belinda Sturm has had an illustrious career. She has rubbed shoulders with many researchers over the years. But as at the start of her much anticipated talk at WEFTEC 2023, “Embracing the Imposter Among Us: How Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Identities Are an Asset,” she cited a surprise influence on her philosophy: Ted …

Continue reading “‘Be Curious’: Embracing Our Unique Selves”

The Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) Public Communication and Outreach Committee (PCOC) is now in its sixth year of sponsoring an annual contest that encourages high school students to showcase their creativity — and fact-checking — when it comes to talking about what should or should not go down a toilet. In 2023, the FWEA …

Continue reading “To Flush or Not to Flush: Florida video contest encourages high schoolers to tackle baby wipes, cotton balls, and other unflushables with their own public service announcements.”

Good employees are hard to find. This fact should come as no surprise to anyone in the water sector, and it will hold true in 2024 as well. Most public utilities have record numbers of vacancies, and overall low unemployment numbers mean that job seekers have many options when choosing where they want to work. …

Continue reading “The Recipe for Success: Three essential ingredients for building the workforce of the future”

Are you sending mixed-up messages? At a loss for words? Effective communication is one of the tenets of authentic leadership and is essential for leaders to relay information, build trust, and motivate employees. So, if your colleagues are asking, “‘Water’ you talking about?” it’s time to communicate smarter. Read the full article in Water Environment …

Continue reading “‘Water’ You Talking About? Communicate Smarter and Improve Engagement”