ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
reuse education in universities, techni- cal colleges, and community colleges are needed (U.S. EPA, 2021b). There appear to be few bachelor’s degree programs that include concepts and principles in decen- tralized wastewater, which results in many professionals having to learn on the job and/ or rely on continuing education training programs (U.S. EPA, 2021b). Respondents emphasized a need to foster college-track coursework to guide new professionals into the workforce. In addition to coursework, there is a need to expand research oppor- tunities involving graduate students as well as the number of experts in the field who train students and conduct research spe- cifically in decentralized wastewater. 3. Continuing education classes do not consistently include hands-on, engaging, or e ective best practices or educational techniques and often do not keep pace with the development of more advanced decentralized technologies. Typically, training courses are provided by state- and national-level associations for continuing education credit, and the majority of respondents have received training in the past few years. U.S. EPA (2021a) recognized, however, that many continuing education classes use outdated curriculum and course materials, such that there is a need for improved communica- tion and partnership between the private sector and educators to keep continuing education classes updated and eective. These observations are consistent with survey respondents, who emphasized that training programs must adapt as new technologies emerge and alter industry practices. Decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse professionals are also concerned that continuing education classes are boring and ineective. Training should be hands-on when possible and include testing and follow-up based on worker performance in the field. 4. A shortage of education and training programs limits the number of qualified, certified, and experienced professionals in the onsite wastewater workforce. Similar to other areas of public health in general—and environmental pub- lic health in particular (Brooks & Ryan, 2021; Gerding et al., 2019)—the onsite and distributed water reuse field appears
FIGURE 4
Certifications Held by Decentralized Wastewater and Distributed Water Reuse Professionals
3 0
2 5
2 0
1 5
1 0
5 0
A B C
D E F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M N O
P
Note. A = none; B = Certified Installer of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (CIOWTS); C = Professional Engineer (PE); D = Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS); E = Certified Professional Soil Scientist; F = Certified Environmental Professional; G = Certified in Public Health (CPH); H = Certified Professional Geologist (PG); I = Professional Land Surveyor; J = Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE); K = Board Certified Environmental Scientist (BCES); L = Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM); M = Certified Safety Professional (CSP); N = Healthy Homes Specialist (HHS); O = Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES); P = Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). Type of Prof essional Registration or Certif ication
to be experiencing a shortage of quali- fied workers in all stages of the life and planning of onsite systems (U.S. EPA, 2021c). Survey responses further rein- forced this perception with many sur- vey respondents expressing diculty in finding properly educated people with the required credentials to fill entry-level roles. Training programs are especially important for workers in the private sec- tor, who frequently may not receive for- mal higher education and instead often learn while on the job. Technical and community colleges might be eective in providing opportunities to expand relevant training program oerings (U.S. EPA, 2021c). Another problem arising from education and training programs is that public sector professionals might not hold the same credentials or licenses as private sector workers and vice versa,
which could result in challenges with regulatory implementation within the decentralized wastewater and distributed water reuse field (U.S. EPA, 2021a). 5. Recruitment of early-career professionals and awareness of employment opportu- nities in onsite wastewater is limited. The aging workforce needs to be addressed with new hiring, career path promo- tion, and marketing of the industry and opportunities in multiple sectors. Current recruitment of new professionals, specifi- cally at earlier career stages, is not meeting hiring demands across the nation. Recruit- ment eorts of new professionals might be limited because of a lack of awareness of career opportunities. Of 34 decentral- ized wastewater occupations that U.S. EPA (2021a) outlined, one half of these occupations were categorized as “Bright Outlook” jobs, and over one half (58%) of
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Volume 86 • Number 5
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