EPA, USDA Partner to Upgrade Rural Water Infrastructure and Create More Jobs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have joined together to protect the health of Americans by improving rural drinking water and wastewater systems.

Nationwide, small water and sewage treatment facilities with limited funding and resources face challenges, due to rising costs and aging infrastructure. The August 8 agreement will send federal resources to support communities that need assistance and promote job training to help put people to work, while addressing the growing workforce shortage in the water industry.

Under the agreement, EPA and USDA will work together to develop a new generation of trained water professionals by and improve operations by:

-          Targeting specific audiences,

-          Providing training for new water careers,

-           Coordinating outreach efforts that will bring greater public visibility to the workforce needs of the industry, and

-          Encouraging the development of long-term water-quality improvement plans that will cut costs and improve performance.

 “EPA and USDA have joined forces to leverage our expertise and resources to improve drinking water and wastewater systems in small towns across the country,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “A critical part of this agreement is to ensure that we have a well trained, professional workforce available to replace workers when they leave or retire.”

“The agreement we are announcing today represents an exciting partnership between USDA and EPA that will greatly enhance our investments in water systems and also in developing a skilled workforce to oversee them,” said Jonathan Adelstein, administrator for USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. “By working together, our agencies will strengthen their capacity to provide rural residents with safe, clean, well-managed water and wastewater systems for years to come.”

In June, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first White House Rural Council, chaired by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Obama stated that the Council would, “work across executive departments, agencies, and offices to coordinate development of policy recommendations to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural America, and shall coordinate my Administration's engagement with rural communities. “

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