ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
Abstract Although decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse professionals represent a key part of environmental public health and environmental engineering, an understanding of workforce challenges has remained elusive. Here we begin to address the critical need of understanding education, training, and outreach needs for decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse. We specifically engaged professionals working in health departments and other government agencies, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations. We examined workforce characteristics related to education, training, and outreach. We found that 37% of decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse professionals plan to retire within 5 years, approximately 25% of these professionals do not hold any type of certification, and education and training are insu cient to meet current workforce demands. We further report 10 problem statements associated with timely education, training, and outreach needs, which represent important opportunities for improving the practice of decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse. Strategic education, training, and outreach activities are necessary to ensure workforce preparedness, to promote education with owners of onsite technologies, and to expand advanced training and translational research programs in decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse. Our findings can specifically support decision making aimed at sustaining and advancing the decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse workforce. Identifying Workforce Education, Training, and Outreach Needs in Decentralized Wastewater and Distributed Water Reuse
Jamie Holodak Honors College, Baylor University Jacob K. Stanley, MS, PhD Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University Alissa H. Cox, MS, PhD New England Onsite Wastewater Training Program, University of Rhode Island Thomas W. Groves National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association Anish Jantrania, MBA, PhD, PE Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University Jeffrey Moeller, MS, PE The Water Research Foundation Kris Neset, MSM, PE National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Christopher Walker, MSEH National Environmental Health Association Harry Zhang, PhD, PE The Water Research Foundation Benjamin J. Ryan, MPH, PhD, REHS Environmental Health Science Program, Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University Systems Research, Baylor University Environmental Health Science Program, Department of En vironmental Science, Baylor University onsite systems is growing around the world across urban–periurban–rural gradients. Decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse professionals are responsible for delivering essential environmental pub- lic health services that aim to protect and promote the health of all people in all com- munities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Properly functioning decentralized wastewater systems are crucial for protecting public health in small, rural, and periurban communities. Professionals in onsite wastewater and distributed water reuse contribute to the design, preparation, Sara F. Heger, MS, PhD Water Resources Center, University of Minnesota Bryan W. Brooks, MS, PhD Center for Reservoir and Aquatic
Introduction Decentralized—or onsite—wastewater and distributed water reuse is a core part of envi- ronmental public health and environmental engineering, which is commonly managed by environmental health practitioners at the local level of government. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 1 in 5 households depend on septic tanks or some other form of decen- tralized (or onsite) wastewater treatment system. In the Houston–Galveston region of Texas, for example, more than 300,000 onsite wastewater systems exist (Houston– Galveston Area Council, 2023).
Decentralized systems are expected to become increasingly important and wide- spread in the future, as 1 in 3 newly built homes are using onsite systems in the U.S. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA], 2021a). Historically, onsite systems have been used commonly in rural areas where centralized municipal water treat- ment is infeasible. Onsite systems could serve more communities in the future, however, as they have been identified as sustainable and aordable alternatives to centralized systems. Decentralized and distributed water reuse technologies are advancing, and the use of
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