Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services (WATERS)

The Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services analytical laboratory was established as a cooperative partnership between Western Kentucky University, Mammoth Cave National Park, the City of Bowling Green, and various local municipalities, and water, wastewater and stormwater utilities. By delegating personnel, equipment and other resources into a shared service entity, each partner is able to avail itself of the combined capacity of the overall WATERS infrastructure, the scope of which would have been otherwise out of reach. This “Farmers Cooperative” laboratory serves a combined capacity development and regulatory compliance mission by further providing a technician training and certification platform.

Water Training Institute

The Water Training Institute was established to address the nationwide workforce shortfall of qualified treatment plant operators due to factors including the en masse retirement of baby boomers and the tightening of regulatory requirements regarding the hands-on experience required prior to licensure. A Hybrid Experiential and Distance Learning Educational Model (HEDLEM) is used to target rural areas hardest hit due to the lack of educational and experiential opportunities available to them within a reasonable proximity. A blue-collar equivalent to the Service Core Of Retired Executives (SCORE), Encourage Every Young Operator with Retired Experience (EEYORE) provides mentoring for new recruits, while a Utility Network (UNet) was established to provide experiential locations. Strategically located Community and Technical College partners provide the regional instructional delivery, allowing for both succession planning and career advancement through the combined provision of both academic credits and state-specific, and state-approved, certification and licensing hours.