Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting applications under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1459E to accelerate career pipelines in the water utilities sector and provide access to water utility workforce opportunities. This action advances the Administration’s priorities, including the goals of Make America Healthy Again, by focusing on building the nation’s water workforce which is critical to ensuring public health and environment protection. Consistent with the law, this action will help inform people about the role of water and wastewater utilities in their communities and increase the awareness of water utility career opportunities. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and elevating public awareness about jobs in the water workforce. Eligible applicants under this funding opportunity are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), nonprofit organizations, and public works departments and agencies. Eligible activities include apprenticeship and internship programs, education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students, regional industry collaborations, and training programs designed to support decentralized workforce. Efforts should aim for measurable results and clearly show tangible benefits for water systems and communities. The proposed activities support the Agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative’s Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American. Examples include training individuals through an apprenticeship program and placing them into water sector jobs, training individuals for industry accreditation, and developing collaborations with community colleges, technical schools, utilities to address the water utility employment needs.

See Section 2 of the full announcement for eligibility information.

The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be described in the NOFO.

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2025: Developed a regional water and wastewater workforce collaborative to address regional workforce needs. Provide training and a clear career path for future water and wastewater operators in secondary education/career tech, through community college, and on to possible apprenticeships, internships, or bachelor�s degree programs. Recruited future operators through targeted and innovative approaches (both in-person and virtual, such as job fairs, billboards, live streaming, social media, and push notifications). Placed qualified program participants into internships and operator in training positions with local utilities. Created a network of career and guidance counselors will be supported by a toolkit of resources to employ when encouraging students to explore careers in water and wastewater treatment. The toolkit will inform career and guidance counselors of the needs and requirements for water utility positions, assist them in sharing information with students, and connect them with local utilities that may be seeking interns or be willing to engage in additional education opportunities for students such as treatment facility tours, job shadowing, or focused...