EPA Opens $10.8M Grant Round for Water Sector Workforce Training
WaterWorld reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making $10.8 million available through its Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant program, aimed at building recruitment and training pipelines as utilities face a wave of anticipated retirements and aging infrastructure. Eligible projects include internships and apprenticeships for water utility trades, water-sector education programs, regional workforce collaborations and training for decentralized wastewater workers who serve communities relying on private wells and septic systems. The EPA said demand for skilled labor is rising as drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utilities modernize systems and confront new challenges, including cybersecurity risks. Grants are meant to fund partnerships among federal, state and local governments, colleges, apprenticeship programs, labor organizations and community groups. The funding round follows a recent EPA roundtable on water-sector recruitment and retention and supports the agency’s broader push to revive its 2020 Water Workforce Initiative. Applications are due through Grants.gov by October 5, 2026.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Water and wastewater trade contractors, including pipefitting, E&I and decentralized septic/wastewater service providers, can pursue grant-funded apprenticeship or training partnerships ahead of the October 5, 2026 Grants.gov deadline.
- Firms that partner with community colleges, labor unions or local governments now have a federal funding avenue to build internal training pipelines instead of competing solely on wages for scarce skilled labor.
- Contractors serving rural or private well/septic-dependent communities should note the specific carve-out for decentralized wastewater worker training, a potential niche funding source not typically available through standard utility budgets.
