Building public awareness to inspire careers in water

When water utility personnel attend career fairs, they often encounter a familiar reaction.

“We say, ‘careers in water,’ and people ask, ‘What do you mean? Like water bottles?’” said Patricia Duran, senior human resources analyst at the San Diego County Water Authority. “They don’t understand what it takes to get water from where it’s coming from to their tap.”

That lack of awareness isn’t unique to San Diego nor is it limited to students at career fairs. Both students and adults are often unaware of the complex processes and skills required to deliver safe, reliable drinking water, Duran added.

Recognizing that workforce challenges extend beyond any single utility, the water authority partners with the San Diego County Water Workforce Collaborative — a group of 21 area agencies — to promote the breadth and depth of careers in water.

“We all end up having the same problem,” Duran said. “So this is an effort for us to work together to find a solution.”

That collaboration includes joint participation in career events and shared tools such as a centralized website that aggregates job postings across multiple agencies. It also includes the San Diego Regional Water/Wastewater Internship Program, which is marking its 20th year.

The program combines classroom learning at local community colleges with hands-on experience at one of the partner treatment plants. Interns rotate among different water agencies every eight weeks, building both technical skills and professional networks across the region.

“The purpose of that program is really to help individuals get a foot in the door,” Duran said, noting that hands-on experience is critical in a field where applicants without prior exposure often struggle to compete for entry-level roles. More than half of this year’s interns have job placements, and previous graduates have advanced into leadership roles — including general manager — in agencies across the region.

But ultimately, Duran and her colleagues hope to inspire careers in water sooner — in high school or even earlier. They’ve started visiting elementary schools to lead lessons in water and water treatment. These opportunities are less about jobs and more about building awareness of the breadth of work involved in the water industry — in hopes that later students might see themselves in it.

There are a range of roles available, Duran said, from administrative work and public affairs to environmental science and skilled trades. “You can pretty much do any career in water,” she said.