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RCAC pilot project responds to water and wastewater utility operator shortage

Baby boomers make up more than one quarter of the United States’ population. According to Pew Research Center, on Jan. 1, 2011, America’s first baby boomer reached 65 years old. By 2030, 18 percent of the nation’s population will have reached at least 65 years old. Our nation’s water and wastewater utility operators are included in those numbers; and as these operators retire, the industry is challenged to find new operators to replace them.

According to an American Water Works Association (AWWA) study conducted in 2005, more than one-third of water and wastewater operators in the United States will have retired by 2015. In 2008, the California Water Environment Association produced the Strategic Long Range Plan which noted that, “there will be an increased need for (wastewater) professionals at all levels in the industry (due to retirement).” This industry needs new entry level and advanced level operators throughout the nation and the state. According to the California Employment Development Department, the annual average need for water and wastewater operators in California alone is 350 new workers, with a total of 3,500 openings expected during the 2010 – 2020 period.

RCAC has developed an innovative training program that focuses on filling the need. The pilot model is designed to serve rural areas that do not have the population to support on-going permanent water operator training. By completing the training students will earn the continuing education units required, and be well prepared, to successfully take the State of California Level 2 (D2) water operator (distribution) certification test. Obtaining the certification qualifies participants for a career in the water utility industry.

The program’s younger adult training style and pace is geared specifically for high school seniors and graduates, ages 18 – 24. The course will be condensed into two to three weeks with hands-on activities that help the younger adult learner retain the material. To enhance the classroom experience, students will participate in field trips to water utilities where they will speak with operators in the field and hear firsthand what the job has to offer. Participants also will get help to prepare the certification test applications, attend a pre-test preparation class just before the test and test day support, which may include transportation and meals. In addition, up to 30 students per year will receive job search and placement support.

Training will run for one or two years, to serve the local need and then relocate to another rural area in the state that does not offer the training. The concept for rotating the program ensures that the number of certified water operators in each location does not exceed local demand. The pilot program will allow RCAC to develop and test outreach and instructional materials, develop an on-going funding structure and fine-tune the concept before replication in other California communities. The program could also be replicated in other states after being revised for compliance with each state’s certification requirements. It could also be geared to other target populations such as veterans, unemployed contractors or tribal communities.

The idea for RCAC’s pilot program began with John Hamner, RCAC Rural Development Specialist II. Hamner received an associate degree in science for water/wastewater treatment at Yuba College’s Clear Lake Campus. He was inspired during his studies to pursue a career in the water utility industry and became certified as a water and wastewater operator. Yuba College cancelled the program in 1994 when former instructor Dave Davidson left and new instructors were difficult to find. Hamner was one of Davidson’s students, and he went on to become the general manager of the Hopland Public Utility District and a circuit rider for California Rural Water Association. Today, he is a technical assistance provider and trainer at RCAC. Hamner has helped thousands of operators become certified or increase their level of certification through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) certified operator program, and has also performed similar work in Nevada, Hawaii and Idaho in onsite workshops, video conferencing and online interactive workshops.

In 2008, Hamner began teaching water distribution certification and water treatment classes at Yuba College. His students range from the just curious, to high school students, to people hoping to begin a second career. The full semester class is so popular that it is now held in the largest room on campus.

After taking one of Hamner’s water treatment workshops –Riviera West Mutual Water District lead operator, Jeremiah Fossa said, “I was able to pass my T-3 state exam with a 92 percent. This allowed me to get a promotion to lead operator at my current job …. Not only was the class informative but I got to meet several operators in my area who offered valuable insight into treating Clearlake's summer water. Without yours’ (Hamner) and RCAC’s help, I would have had a very tough time passing all three of my state licensing tests.”

RCAC is currently looking for funds to begin the pilot project in Crescent City and adjacent tribal lands in Del Norte County, California. The County is an isolated, low-income, high unemployment area. The Crescent City public works department, College of the Redwoods, the Del Norte school district, local tribal utilities and other water utilities enthusiastically endorsed the project, and will provide in-kind donations of space and outreach support.  

Sources:
Pew Research
California Water Environment Association
The California Employment Development Department