ALEXANDRIA, VA, DEC 27, 2017 -- The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and DC Water announce that 106 individuals recently completed training and testing requirements for certification in construction, inspection, and maintenance of green infrastructure (GI), a fast-growing approach to reduce stormwater pollution.
Over the past two years of the program, more than 200 individuals have now earned certifications under the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP). Cities adding to their GI certified workforce this round include Baltimore, Md., Cincinnati, Oh., Fairfax, Va., Harrisburg, Pa., Kansas City, Mo., Milwaukee, Wis., Montgomery County, Md., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Washington, D.C.
The certification promotes a skilled green infrastructure workforce, streamlines the process of connecting qualified talent to in-demand jobs, supports community-based job creation in U.S. cities, and establishes national standards for professionals seeking to work on green infrastructure projects.
By verifying a professional's competency in and understanding of green infrastructure, certification increases their competitiveness in the job market. WEF plans to add more certification trainings and exams in 2018 to continue to grow the community of certified professionals.
The NGICP was developed in partnership with DC Water and is housed under WEF's Stormwater Institute, a center for excellence and innovation focused on stormwater runoff and wet weather issues. With the support of 14 additional partner utilities, the program is readying for a national roll-out.
"Green infrastructure has become a best management practice of choice for many communities around the country, and proper maintenance is an ongoing concern," said Sandra Ralston, chair of the Stormwater Institute Advisory Committee. "By cultivating a proficient green workforce, NGICP insures that green infrastructure continues to be an acceptable and viable stormwater management option."
Current NGICP partner organizations include the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Mass.), Capital Region Water (Pa.), City of Baltimore Department of Public Works (Md.), Fairfax County (Va.), Kansas City Water Services Department (Mo.), Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (Ky.), Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (Ohio), Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (Ill.), Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (Wis.), Montgomery County (Md.), New Orleans Delegation (La.), New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (Pa.), and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (Calif.).
For more information, please visit www.ngicp.org.
About WEF
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 34,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. To learn more, visit www.wef.org.
