A diverse set of stakeholders from across the water sector and the federal government, as well as key experts from other sectors, gathered in Alexandria, VA on November 14-15 to discuss and provide input on an action agenda intended to guide work on addressing water workforce challenges.

The convening, supported by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation, and the EPA, focused on identifying actions that the water sector organizations, together with EPA, should take to fill knowledge gaps around water workforce planning, recruitment, retention and more.

The engagement with peers that are facing similar issues, and the opportunity to learn what other sectors have done to address nearly identical workforce challenges, were beneficial highlights for those in attendance.

A summary of the discussion, including a list of potential actions for the water sector, will be made available soon, and NACWA, together with its partner organizations, will use the outcomes from the meeting to guide its work on this critical issue.