Sustainable Water Jobs

Many jobs, in different sectors of the economy, are required to manage, deliver, and treat the freshwater required to satisfy our commercial, institutional, industrial, agricultural, and domestic needs for goods and services. A range of sustainable water strategies to address twenty-first-century water challenges have emerged that reach far beyond the conventional water sector. Growing attention is being given to sustainable measures such as low-impact development, water reuse, watershed restoration, water conservation and efficiency, and many other proven and promising practices. As the country shifts to more sustainable water management, new services, occupations, and markets are emerging. In addition, over the next decade there will be a need for major investments in the nation’s aging infrastructure for wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water along with ongoing operation and maintenance jobs to sustain that infrastructure. Many of these jobs are eligible for public funding and have been the focus of increased funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and other federal and state policies. However, information is needed to help local, state, and federal agencies; utilities; companies; unions; and nonprofit entities adopt strategies that maximize job creation and other potential benefits of these practices.