Authored by Eva Goethals, Government Affairs and Sustainability at Veolia
Water and wastewater utilities across the United States are facing a growing workforce challenge driven by retirements and rising technical demands. Roughly one-third of the water workforce is expected to become eligible for retirement within the next decade, leaving an estimated 10,000 openings for water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators each year through 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For cities, the challenge is practical and immediate: recruiting and maintaining enough licensed operators to ensure safe drinking water, treated wastewater, regulatory compliance and system reliability.
A Workforce Shift Cities Cannot Ignore
The water sector is undergoing a major demographic transition. More than 30 percent of the nation’s water workforce is age 55 or older, while only 4.5 percent is under age 25, according to research from the Brookings Institution. Federal agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (PDF) warn that without expanded recruitment and retention efforts, this “silver tsunami” could cost the industry more than 27,500 operators by 2031. To address this, the EPA has launched a range of workforce initiatives, including the Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant Program, investing over $20 million to expand training pipelines and increase awareness of careers in the water sector.
The U.S Water Alliance (PDF) reports that more than 300,000 employees operate and maintain drinking water and wastewater systems across tens of thousands of utilities–many of which are small systems with only a handful of staff.
This fragmented structure complicates workforce development. Smaller utilities face limited labor pools, constrained training budgets and fewer opportunities to build internal career pipelines. Research from the American Water Works Association (PDF) shows that fewer than 60 percent of utilities report fully funded workforce training programs, even as regulatory requirements and treatment technologies grow more complex.
State and regional data reveal similar pressures nationwide. In Kentucky and West Virginia (PDF), utility managers report rising vacancies and concerns about sustaining certified operator workforces. Likewise, the New England Water Environment Association (PDF) estimates that up to 20 percent of water utility workers may retire or transition out of their roles each year through at least 2026, accelerating the loss of experienced operators and institutional knowledge. California (PDF) regulators note that the water industry remains largely unknown among students and job seekers, limiting awareness of career opportunities.
Investments in water infrastructure also translate directly into workforce demand. Economic analysis from the Value of Water Campaign finds that every $1 million invested in water infrastructure generates roughly 10 jobs and $2.5 million in economic output, underscoring how workforce capacity and infrastructure investment are closely linked.
Stable and Rewarding Careers
To increase the water workforce pipeline, cities and the water industry can reduce barriers to entry, including building awareness about the sector and offering training and licensure support.
Water sector careers are stable and well compensated. In 2024, water and wastewater treatment plant operators earned a median annual wage of $58,260, about 17 percent higher than the national median across all occupations according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the sector has historically remained more stable (PDF) than national averages during economic downturns, reflecting both the essential nature of water services and the specialized expertise required.
Operator careers are also relatively AI-proof. A 2025 study from Microsoft examining the impact of artificial intelligence on different occupations ranked water and wastewater treatment operators among the occupations least likely to be impacted by AI, highlighting the continued need for human operation of critical infrastructure.
Introducing this promising career path to young people through educational programs, apprenticeships and paid internships is a critical way to build the water workforce pipeline.
Expanding Access to Training Resources
On the training and licensure side, each state has its own operator licensing process, which typically includes training courses and an exam. These courses can be expensive and difficult to access for people in rural areas or those who are working in other jobs. To address this challenge, Veolia, in partnership with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA), launched Veolia Workforce Academy North America as part of a broader industry effort to expand access to operator training.
The Academy is a free, fully digital training program designed to prepare individuals for state operator licensing and careers in drinking water and wastewater treatment. The program hosts more than 360 hours of license-aligned coursework covering topics from foundational treatment processes to advanced operator exam preparation.
For cities, scalable training tools like the Academy can help:
- Lower cost barriers for new entrants
- Support operators pursuing advanced certifications
- Provide flexible learning options in communities with limited training infrastructure
- Strengthen recruitment pipelines in smaller or rural systems
Free online training is one way that the water industry is working to expand access to water careers and strengthen the long-term resilience of local water systems.
Investments in People Strengthen Systems
Ensuring safe and reliable water service is one of local government’s most fundamental responsibilities. Investing in workforce development helps utilities reduce vacancy rates, shorten hiring timelines and preserve the institutional knowledge needed to maintain regulatory compliance and protect public health.
For municipal leaders, strengthening the water workforce is essential to protecting public health, maintaining regulatory compliance and supporting long-term economic development. Investments in workforce training today will help ensure that communities continue to have the skilled professionals needed to operate the systems that deliver safe drinking water and treat wastewater for generations to come.
About Veolia
Veolia group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024.
In the United States, Veolia in North America offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.
Visit the NLC Strategic Partnerships page to learn more about the organizations like Veolia dedicated to making NLC the premier resource for local governments.
About the Author
Cities in Action: Grand Island Community Kitchen Pilot
Cities in Action: Bilingual Business Navigation in Durango, CO
Making Housing Vouchers Work
- CitiesSpeak Guest
How DC is Growing Local Firms Through Procurement
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Building the Skilled Labor Workforce to Facilitate Housing Production
- Hannah Olsen
Workforce Intelligence Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Cities
- NLC Partnerships