August 8, 2011
For Immediate Release

USDA and EPA announce partnership, H2O-XPO panel

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection  Agency announced a national partnership, focusing on rural drinking water and wastewater systems, today during a live telephone press conference.
    

“Modern, reliable water and waste disposal systems are the foundation on which healthy and sustainable rural communities are built,” said Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities Service.
     

“Clean and safe water is the foundation of healthy communities, healthy families and a healthy economy. EPA is very excited to be partnering with UDSA to help achieve the goal of reliable, affordable water services for all Americans,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA Acting Administrator for Water. “Everyone deserves safe water to drink, to swim in, to eat fish from and safe water should not be based on ability to pay.”
    

The partnership is an expansion of a previous effort that focused on arsenic. The new partnership will include coordinated efforts to improve water and wastewater sustainability and focus on workforce development.
     

“It’s designed to help rural systems implement innovative strategies and tools that allow them to be sustainable well into the future,” Adelstein said. “Our Partnership will help ensure safe and reliable water and sanitation services on a sustainable basis. First, it encourages partnering among systems; second, it provides tools and technical assistance; and third, it implements rural water workforce training and awareness.”
     

“A critical part of this agreement will be the commitment to assist with workforce development for water utilities,” Stoner said. “At the same time many in rural communities are looking for jobs, many water utilities are facing workforce shortages. By recruiting and helping to train the next generation of professionals we can help put people to work and provide long-term careers.”
According to the speakers, the Department of Labor has estimated the demand for water utility professionals will increase by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018. Additionally, it is estimated that nearly 30 percent of the current water industry workforce will be eligible for retirement within five years. One of the efforts to support this growing demand is the Career Opportunity Showcase, to be held at NRWA’s H2O-XPO, October 4-6 in Louisville, Ken.
     

“To kick off this effort, USDA and EPA will be partnering in a panel together on sustainability of rural water systems. We’re going to do that at the National Rural Water Association’s H2O-XPO, held this October in Louisville, Ken,” Adelstein said. “In partnership with the USDA, the National Rural Water Association also developed and will host a Career Opportunity Showcase as part of the XPO. It will be an opportunity for those seeking jobs in the water industry, or just wanting to know more about them, to meet with water professionals and learn about the benefits of a career in water.”
The new partnership will also focus on creating sustainable water systems.
     

“We’ll promote sustainable management practices; we’ll encourage partnerships to cut cost and improve reliability. We’ll work to attract a new generation of trained professionals to fill these key jobs in rural America. We’ll work together to provide training and coordinate funding for projects that provide safe water supplies,” Adelstein said.
       

“Our goal is not just to solve today’s problems, but to help communities be sustainable for the long run,” Stoner said.
      

A recording of the press conference is available on-line at nrwa.org and more information about H2O-XPO and the Career Opportunity Showcase is available at h2o-xpo.org.

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