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Newsletter #442 - September 15, 2026 |
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Veolia Workforce Academy North America: A Free Online Training Platform |
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This workforce development initiative from Veolia, in partnership with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), helps make it easier than ever for individuals to enter the water and wastewater industry through free online training.
Veolia Workforce Academy North America, announced in February 2026, offers a fully digital learning platform designed to help students, career changers, and current employees build the technical knowledge needed for careers in water and wastewater operations. All courses are available free of charge.
The program was created in response to a growing workforce challenge facing the water sector. With a significant portion of the industry approaching retirement age, utilities across the United States need to hire more than 10,000 new workers annually to maintain and operate critical water infrastructure.
Courses on the platform combine training content developed by both AWWA and WEF, providing learners with foundational skills that align with state licensing and certification requirements for water and wastewater operators. The academy is intended to reduce barriers to entry by offering accessible, self-paced training to help participants prepare for careers in the industry. |
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Missed our last webinar? Watch the recording! |
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This webinar, recorded in September 2026, reviews publicly available GIS resources and tools that support asset management for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), with a focus on mapping infrastructure assets. The session also includes a demonstration of our free search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional free resources and training events.
This webinar is part of a series that covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality.
For informational purposes only. We are unable to offer certificates for watching a video recording.
Recordings of our previous webinars:
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Featured Video |
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New Orleans Fights to Restore Faith in Its Water Utility
waterloop
"Meet Corwin Washington, Utility Senior Service Manager for the Stormwater Division at the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans.
After Hurricane Katrina, it took four days for floodwaters across New Orleans to reach the level of Lake Pontchartrain. Two decades later, the utility that helped the city recover is working to rebuild public trust strained by billing problems and aging infrastructure.
Washington compares the utility to a boxer in the seventh round—battered and repeatedly knocked down, but still fighting. One of its most important opportunities to recover is a smart-metering program designed to replace estimated water bills with actual readings.
Customers will also receive access to a dashboard showing their water use in near real time. That information can help residents detect unusual consumption, understand what is driving their charges, and take greater control of their bills.
The utility is pairing the technology with district-by-district outreach that brings staff directly into communities. Washington says restoring confidence requires more than installing new meters; it requires meeting customers where they are and demonstrating that the institution still cares about the people it serves.
For Washington, the smart-metering program is one round in a much longer fight to become the reliable, accountable utility New Orleans residents deserve." |
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Tap Talk |
Understanding This Year’s El Niño with the Illinois State Climatologist
This week on Tap Talk, we are pleased to welcome to the show a colleague from the Illinois State Water Survey: Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford. Trent explains the weather phenomenon of El Niño to Steve & Jennifer, including the science behind the oscillation’s mechanics, the likelihood of this year’s El Niño becoming a “Super” El Niño, the expected impacts on regional climates around the world, and what these impacts can mean for water supplies and systems.
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Apply for AWWA Scholarships until November 6th |
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The Water Equation Scholarships program supports students and operators at the beginning of their work in water. Scholarships are available through AWWA, corporate partners, and the Water Operator Continuing Education Fund.
The Water Operator Continuing Education Fund supports non-traditional education programs, including trade schools, certification programs, and community college coursework for water operators.
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Applications are accepted on a monthly basis throughout the year.
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All applications are reviewed by a committee of water sector professionals.
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Awards are made on a rolling basis throughout the year.
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Award amount varies by program and course.
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To finalize your application, you will need to enter the code WOE.
The Water Operator Continuing Education Fund does not fund scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, or PhD programs. To apply for academic scholarships, visit the Water Equation Scholarships webpage. Water Equation offers 23 merit-based science, technology, engineering, and match academic scholarships for higher degrees.
For questions about specific program eligibility, contact Margo Hatton (mhatton@awwa.org), CFRE – Senior Manager Development and Donor Relations.
Learn about more continuing education opportunities and section specific scholarships available through your local AWWA section.
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Featured Video |
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Webinar Recording: Planning Today for Reliable Water Tomorrow
Environmental Finance Center Network
"Ensuring reliable drinking water service for future generations requires thoughtful planning, proactive asset management, and long-term financial sustainability. This webinar explores practical approaches utilities can use to strengthen operational reliability and prepare for future needs through strategic planning, asset management, capital improvement planning, financial forecasting, and workforce development. Participants will learn practical strategies to identify risks, prioritize investments, and build a roadmap for long-term success."
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EPA Funding & Financial Tools for Small Water and Wastewater Utilities
September 17, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
Rural Community Assistance Partnership
This free webinar provides an overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center resources that help small drinking water and wastewater utilities improve financial sustainability, identify funding opportunities, and build long-term infrastructure resilience. Participants will be introduced to EPA financial planning tools, the Water Finance Clearinghouse, the Smart Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation (SWIFT) Initiative, and federal funding programs that support utility improvements.
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Effective Utility Management for Wastewater Systems
September 24, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
Environmental Finance Center Network
This free webinar will cover Effective Utility Management (EUM) for water and wastewater systems, a nationally recognized framework that optimizes utility operations, governance, and financial sustainability. Wastewater systems often lack the structured planning needed to prevent public health risks, compliance violations, and severe budget shortfalls. Mastering EUM principles empowers operators and managers to build practical strategic plans, prioritize resources, and demonstrate continuous improvement to state regulators. |
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Using Local Mutual Aid Networks in Your Emergency Response Plan
September 30, 2026 | 1:00 PM CT
U.S Environmental Protection Agency
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433, as revised by America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) Section 2013, requires community water systems (CWSs) serving more than 3,300 people to prepare or revise and certify risk and resilience assessments (RRAs) and emergency response plans (ERPs) to EPA every five years. CWSs serving 3,301–49,999 people were required to certify their RRA by June 30, 2026, and must certify their ERP by December 31, 2026.
Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs), the intrastate mutual aid and assistance networks of “utilities helping utilities,” are one way utilities can build resilience.
In this free webinar, EPA will provide examples of how utilities can use WARNs and include them in their ERPs.
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Recent Blog Posts at WaterOperator.org |
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Turning Rural Water Infrastructure Funding into Lasting Results
Read Here » |
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Monitoring, Sampling, and Data Management for NPDES Compliance
Read Here » |
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Groundwater & Well Care for Public Water Systems is a free online course from WaterOperator.org. Certificates are provided and the course is currently pre-approved for 2 hours continuing education credit in a number of states.
Click here to learn more. |
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