The water sector keeps communities safe, economies running, and ecosystems healthy, but it’s been facing a quiet crisis (and I’m not referring to the aging pipes). Across the country, water utilities are under strain. One in three water utility operators are approaching retirement, small systems are stretched thin, and burnout is growing among the workers responsible for managing our planet’s most essential resource. If we want to build a resilient water sector, we need to invest more in the people behind the scenes.
The professionals running our water and wastewater utilities may be excellent operators or technicians, but what about leading a team? Operating a utility isn’t just about pumps, pipes, and permits. It’s also about navigating tough conversations, managing change, resolving conflict, and supporting staff. In short: leadership. Yet, limited utility budgets and minimal staffing mean professional development is often focused solely on certification renewal. But without strong leadership, teams face burnout, poor morale, and operational breakdowns that no amount of technical know-how can fix. That includes struggling to retain the very people needed to keep operations running. A strong leadership culture fosters continuous improvement, drives employee engagement and retention, and aligns day-to-day operations with the utility’s long-term visions (America’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative: A Call to Action).
Leadership gaps exist in every industry, but in the water sector, the consequences are higher, and the safety nets are fewer.
- Public health is at stake: Mistakes in utility management can lead to water quality issues, environmental damage, or system failures (not just missed deadlines).
- Teams are often isolated: Small systems typically have no HR, no middle management, and little peer support.
- There’s no room for error: Utility staff juggle regulatory pressure, emergency response, and long-term infrastructure needs (often with very limited resources).
Roughly 85% of water utilities in the US have three or fewer employees. That means the same person who handles operations might also be focused on billing, compliance, and emergency response. There’s very little time—or funding—for things like structured onboarding, mentorship, or leadership development. While other sectors may be able to absorb the impact of leadership gaps, the water sector can’t.
Managerial Capacity: The Forgotten Pillar
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments introduced the Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) capacity development framework to strengthen utility resilience. But the TMF pillars aren’t all on equal footing.
- Technical capacity is clearly defined and required. Operators must pass certification exams and meet training hour requirements.
- Financial capacity is monitored and fairly straightforward to evaluate. Systems must demonstrate sound budgeting, rate-setting, and financial planning to qualify for grants and loans.
- Managerial capacity, by contrast, is much harder to evaluate. There are few standardized metrics for assessing how utilities manage and support staff.
When it comes to workforce support—career development, team management, employee well-being—responsibility is everywhere, but support might be difficult to locate and is typically not incentivized. The result is a fragmented system where we believe that leadership matters but haven’t built it into practice or learned to measure it in any meaningful way.
What Strong Leadership Delivers
- Lower Turnover: Leadership development can reduce turnover by nearly a third.
- Higher Productivity: Effective managers help teams do more with less.
- Stronger Culture: Research shows managers alone account for 70% of the variance in team engagement.
Actions to Keep Utility Leadership Afloat:
- Leadership development doesn’t need to be costly or complex. Even with limited budgets, utilities can take steps to internally prioritize leadership development. This might include dedicating an hour per month to internal leadership learning, assigning staff to shadow senior roles, peer mentoring, or requesting technical assistance. Atlantic County Utilities Authority, for example, has developed an in-house, one-day leadership training course for newly promoted managers, tailored to their system’s specific needs. Tools like the EFCN Water Leadership Program’s On-Demand Learning Module also provide self-paced, utility-specific guidance on people-focused leadership.
- Grow your leadership bench by leveraging partnerships and professional networks. You don’t have to build a leadership program alone. Consider teaming up with neighboring utilities, technical assistance providers, or regional development organizations to host leadership trainings, roundtables, or train-the-trainer programs. At the same time, encourage utility staff to participate in industry associations where they can connect with peers, exchange ideas, and continue to develop as leaders outside of your organization.
- Track the impact of leadership investments. A strong way to make the case for continued workforce support is by highlighting the impact leadership development efforts have, no matter how small. This could include:
- Recording all completed leadership trainings and webinars
- Tracking employee retention rates over time
- Using anonymous or third-part surveys/tools to assess and track internal morale, engagement, and feelings towards their own career trajectory and capabilities
- Monitoring metrics like internal promotions, team performance, productivity, and efficiency
As leadership experts at DDI World warn, “When leadership development lacks measurable outcomes, it becomes dispensable––often the first budget item cut during tough times.” But with critical investments currently flowing into America’s water infrastructure, strong leadership is essential for seeing those investments through. Pipes don’t plan. Pumps don’t lead. Infrastructure doesn’t guide a utility through a crisis—people do.
If you’re a water or wastewater utility, decentralized system, or local government who needs support or doesn’t know where to get started, help is available. Tap into free support for workforce development, leadership training, and other technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) assistance today: Get Help Here