Community

The Water Environment Federation earned a 2019 ASAE Power of Associations Summit Award for its National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP), which trains and certifies entry-level workers to properly construct, inspect, and maintain green infrastructure (rain gardens, bioswales, porous pavement and green roofs, for example) to handle stormwater. These methods provide cities with a lower-cost, distributed, and scalable option to help meet stormwater permit requirements, as well as prevent rainwater from entering municipal sewer systems, and help avoid or delay building additional and larger “gray” or concrete infrastructure to handle the extra water. The program also serves as professional development for landscape, construction, and water sector professionals, and as a workforce development tool to provide local community members with the technical skills needed to enter the green workforce and earn a livable wage.