LABOR RESOURCES FOR UTILITY MANAGERS

• Lean Techniques Can Help Improve Water and Wastewater Operations

  All the rage in the private sector, ‘lean’ principles — smoothing out processes to remove non-value-add parts — can also bring greater efficiency to utility operations.

• The Labor Shortage: Examining The What, Why, And How Behind An Ever-Growing Problem

  Dr. Rachel Sederberg didn’t mince words when describing the seriousness of the labor shortage in the United States. It’s long been a problem, and now it’s getting (much) worse. When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in February of 2020, there were 7 million job openings and 5.9 million unemployed people in the U.S. Two years into the pandemic, the statistics paint a dire picture of the workforce landscape as it stands presently.

• It’s Time To Put Water On The Main Stage

  During the pandemic, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Of the 17 categories, three were dedicated to water. Drinking Water, Stormwater, and Wastewater received grades of C-, D, and D+, respectively. ASCE’s accompanying Failure to Act study summarized that by 2029, funding for the three combined categories needed to be $1.045 trillion. As a reminder, $611 billion is currently funded, leaving a gap of $434 billion. The recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) helped that gap a little more, with $55 billion in funding. Unfortunately, that still leaves a gap of $379 billion in additional funding needed by 2029.

• Can Electronic O&M Manuals Beat The Water Industry’s Brain Drain?

  Water industry brain drain is here. As of last year, half of U.S. adults aged 55 or older had retired, according to Pew Research Center. Furthermore, by 2030, the Water Environment Federation predicts that a third of the water workforce will be retirement eligible.

• Reflections Of A Global Civil Engineer And Candidate For ASCE Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute (UESI) Governor

  ASCE has been a premier civil engineering body for over 170 years when we were compelled to design civil structures strong enough to survive new threats — two world wars, seismic loads, floods, environmental pollution, and epidemics, to name a few. We have been fortunate that we had the trust of the public behind us in our pursuits. When a sewer line is designed and built in town, during the unveiling of the sewer no member of the public would ever dare to ask, “What is the return on the public investment into the new sewer?”

• WWEMA Window: What Does Volatility Mean To You?

  Almost two years ago to the day, I contributed my first article after achieving the honor of joining the WWEMA Board of Directors. At that time, I could say I’d seen a lot in my 25-plus years in the workforce and was at a point in my career where I found myself thinking, but not saying out loud, “I’ve seen this before” with a bit more regularity.

• The Importance Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Water Sector

  Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become one of the most important topics in the workplace, let alone the water sector. The business case for diversity has been made, but because DEI has not been a regular discussion topic, some organizations are struggling with how to define what their DEI initiatives should be.

• WWEMA Window: 3-D Imagery As A Workforce Recruitment Tool

  Why does our industry not seem to attract both a large number and highly skilled new talent like other industries do? I contend that as an industry we must do everything possible to sell ourselves and the important mission we fulfill, and what better way to do this than to wave the technology flag?

• Using Artificial Intelligence To Reduce Response Times

  Public works operations and water utility personnel are now using AI-enabled insight to better serve their communities and save money.

• Utilities: It’s Time To Re-evaluate Headlamp Specifications

  Technological advancement enables intrinsically safe headlamps to improve safety and operator performance more cost effectively.