Governor Tate Reeves has announced that the Delta Regional Authority has awarded a nearly $900,000 grant to the Mississippi Rural Water Association (MsRWA).
The grant will support the construction of a $1.9 million centralized water and wastewater training facility in which apprentices will learn from industry experts, vendors, and regulatory authorities.
“This new facility will help provide a higher quality learning experience and improve emergency readiness for water operators throughout the state,” Reeves said. “Having dependable utilities is vital. This grant and the continued work of the Mississippi Rural Water Association will better ensure that our communities have the operators needed to maintain critical water and wastewater infrastructure.”
Training will ensure that communities within the Mississippi Rural Water Association will have better access to certified operators and reliable utility services.
Apprentices will have the opportunity to get paid while they learn as they spend 4,000 hours over two years gaining practical system experience from certified operators in the field. The training will include everything from plant operation to water quality analysis, and more. To complete the course, 288 hours of classroom training will also be required.
Future operators will be located near the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, better preparing the state for future crises. The new facility will provide for a higher quality learning experience and an understanding of emergency readiness for operators.
