Member Spotlight

El Paso Water (EPWater) in Texas serves more than 850,000 residents and businesses in one of the driest regions of the country. Located in the Chihuahuan Desert and averaging only nine inches of annual rainfall, the utility relies on groundwater and Rio Grande surface water to support its community. EPWater’s long history of innovation includes leadership in water reclamation, aquifer recharge, conservation, and desalination, including operating the world’s largest inland desalination plant.

As the city grows, so does the demand for a skilled and reliable plant workforce. Facing industry-wide staffing challenges, particularly at wastewater facilities, EPWater launched a new initiative to strengthen its pipeline of operators and technicians. The Skills for Sustainability Program was developed in partnership with the Success Through Technology Education Foundation, Western Technical College, and the Trust for the Americas, with support from the North American Development Bank, Microsoft, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Through this program, selected students receive six weeks of free evening instruction at Western Tech, covering core topics such as math, biology, chemistry, ethics, and hands-on exposure to EPWater treatment plants. With course materials tailored by EPWater’s human resources and plant leadership, the goal is to introduce motivated candidates from varied backgrounds to meaningful, stable careers in water and wastewater operations.

Graduates are invited to apply for newly created Utility Plant Technician Trainee positions, where they continue hands-on training and work toward earning their D-level plant operations license within six months. Results have been impressive: three cohorts completed training between 2023–2024, and many of the program graduates are now serving at water and wastewater facilities across El Paso. Notably, the initiative has helped bring more women into plant operations, bucking national workforce trends.

By building a skilled, diverse pipeline of future operators, the utility has not only overcome a critical staffing challenge but created a model for others seeking sustainable solutions. EPWater is now exploring funding options to continue what has proven to be a highly successful and impactful program.

NACWA awarded El Paso Water a 2025 National Environmental Achievement Award in the Workforce Development category for this forward-thinking approach to workforce development. Congratulations to everyone involved!