EPA and USDA Work to Improve Rural Water

communities that need assistance and promote job training to help put people to
work while addressing the growing workforce shortage in the water industry.

“EPA
and USDA have joined forces to leverage our expertise and resources to improve
drinking water and wastewater systems in small towns across the country,” says
Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “A critical part of this agreement is to ensure that we have a well trained,
professional workforce available to replace workers when they leave or retire.”

“The
agreement we are announcing today represents an exciting partnership between
USDA and EPA that will greatly enhance our investments in water systems and
also in developing a skilled workforce to oversee them,” says Jonathan
Adelstein, administrator for USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. “By working together,
our agencies will strengthen their capacity to provide rural residents with
safe, clean, well-managed water and wastewater systems for years to come.”

Under
the agreement, EPA and USDA will work together to promote jobs by targeting
specific audiences, providing training for new water careers and coordinating
outreach efforts that will bring greater public visibility to the workforce
needs of the industry, and develop a new generation of trained water
professionals. EPA and USDA also will facilitate the exchange of successful
recruitment and training strategies among stakeholders including states and
water industries.

The
agencies also will help rural utilities improve current operations and
encourage development of long-term water quality improvement plans. The plans
will include developing sustainable management practices to cut costs and
improve performance. 

Since
taking office, President Obama’s administration has taken significant steps to
improve the lives of rural Americans. For instance, the administration has set
goals to modernize infrastructure by providing broadband access to 10 million
Americans, expanding educational opportunities for students in rural areas and
providing affordable health care. In the long term, these unparalleled rural
investments will help ensure that America’s rural communities are
thriving economically.

In
June, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the first White
House Rural Council, chaired by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack. The White House Rural Council will work throughout government to
create policies that will help realize the administration’s goals for rural
communities. This agreement is part of that initiative.