Opinion: A ‘silver tsunami’ is forecasted for New England’s water industry  - Concord MonitorEvery day, millions of New Englanders turn o...

Opinion: A ‘silver tsunami’ is forecasted for New England’s water industry  - Concord Monitor
Every day, millions of New Englanders turn on the tap without a second thought. They expect wastewater to disappear and travel safely through the water systems to be treated. They expect rivers, lakes and beaches to remain healthy. And when disaster strikes, they expect someone to be there to protect our water.

Those expectations are met because thousands of highly trained water professionals quietly go to work every day. But roughly one-third of America’s water workers are eligible for retirement within the next decade, and simply put, the people who protect our most essential resource are leaving the workforce faster than we are replacing them.

New England is particularly vulnerable, where average water operator is 50 years old — seven years older than the national average. This brewing problem poses risk to our environment, public health and our infrastructure, especially in our region.