Building a Stronger Water Workforce for the Central Valley
Safe, reliable water is essential to the future of the Central Valley. But protecting that future takes more than infrastructure. It requires people. A knowledgeable workforce that is ready to design, manage, operate, fix, and optimize the systems and technology needed to keep water moving in the Central Valley. Operators, technicians, engineers, managers, educators, trainers, and more, are critical to keeping our communities’ water systems running well, now and into the future.
As the water sector evolves and experienced professionals approach retirement, creating clear pathways for the next generation of workers and increasing awareness of the local water sector and the wealth of professional options it offers are becoming increasingly important.
This is the thinking behind the Ripple Effect Initiative’s focus on local water workforce, a community-driven effort led by Kings Water Alliance (KWA) to better understand the region’s water workforce needs, identify gaps between employers and potential employees, and explore how education, training and career opportunities in the local water sector can become better connected.
The Ripple Effect Initiative began with a simple but important premise: the long-term resilience of our water systems depends on the people who operate, maintain, protect and improve them.
The work is focused on identifying and promoting water-focused jobs with clear and rewarding career pathways; connecting education and training programs with real workforce opportunities; closing knowledge gaps as experienced water professionals retire; and helping rural communities build the local knowledge and workforce capacity needed to shape their water future.
The Ripple Effect Initiative is focused on Four Key Components:
Identifying and promoting water-focused jobs and starting the work of establishing clear career pathways to the wide range of rewarding career opportunities.
Helping local communities build the knowledge and workforce capacity needed to shape their water future.
Connecting education and training programs with range and depth of real workforce opportunities.
Closing knowledge gaps as experienced water professionals retire.
By understanding where water projects, employers, training programs and future workers intersect, we can begin creating stronger connections among them.
Research & Listening
Water Workforce Survey – Understanding Our Region’s Workforce
In partnership with the California Water Institute at Fresno State, KWA conducted research designed to better understand current and future water-sector needs and the workforce development conditions surrounding them.
Two surveys were developed. The first gathered perspectives from water-sector professionals and employers and from educators and workforce training providers.
The second reached job seekers and students—including people who may never have considered a career in water before.
Together, the responses provide valuable insight into where employers are experiencing challenges, what prospective workers value in a career and where stronger connections can be created.
Survey Report Key Findings
There is demand for skilled workers. There are people interested in meaningful, stable careers. And there are educators, employers, and community partners who can help connect them. What is needed now are clearer bridges between those groups, and a clearer picture of the wide range of professional opportunities under the banner of local water sector jobs.
- 68% of water-sector respondents said they sometimes have difficulty filling mission-critical positions, while another 25% said they always experience difficulty filling them.
- 78% of water-sector respondents said it is difficult to find employees with the licenses or certifications required for water-sector jobs.
- Only 39% said it is easy to find employees with the interpersonal or “soft” skills needed for their work.
- 61% of educators and trainers rely on word of mouth to learn about current job openings and industry needs, pointing to an opportunity for stronger communication between employers and education partners.
- Among job seekers, job stability ranked as the most important employment characteristic, followed by salary, career growth and health benefits.
- 7% of job seekers said a job becomes more desirable when it helps their local community.
- Perhaps most encouraging for the future, 57% said they were interested in learning more about careers in the water sector.
Sharing & Collaboration
Regional Roundtables Hosted by Kings Water Alliance
Kings Water Alliance hosted two roundtables in June of 2026. The first was focused on workforce, training, and education providers. The second roundtable brought together the training and education representatives with industry/employers from the water sector. These meetings and the collaboration and connections that came from them have been integral to the success of the Ripple Effect Initiative and the momentum and excitement from key players across our target audiences. For a quick recap watch the roundtable videos here:
Next Steps & Getting Involved
Building the Central Valley’s future water workforce will require collaboration.
The name Ripple Effect reflects what this initiative has been about from the beginning; one connection leading to the next. One phone call leading to the right person to talk to. One email can be the difference between success and stagnation. This means the future of this work and the success of these efforts will require continuing conversations with water agencies and employers. It means working with schools, colleges, training providers, workforce development organizations and career advisors. It means introducing more people to the breadth of careers available in water. And it means continuing to explore partnerships that can turn research and recommendations into opportunities.
If you represent a water agency, utility, educational institution, training program, workforce organization, nonprofit, community organization or employer, we invite you to connect with Kings Water Alliance and explore opportunities to partner on the next phase of this work in collaboration with the ACWA Foundation.
If you are a student, job seeker or community member, help us spread the word that water careers can offer meaningful opportunities to build a career while serving the communities we call home.
You can help builda stronger, more resilient water future for the Central Valley by sharing the Ripple Effect Initiative with someone who should be part of the conversation.
Email info@kingswateralliance.org or visit the Ripple Effect Initiative page to learn more.
