Resolutions

Whereas safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment are essential public services, and municipalities are required under The Water Regulations, 2023 and The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010 to ensure certified operators are responsible for the operation of waterworks and wastewater systems; and 

Whereas urban municipalities — especially villages and small towns — invest substantial public resources into training operators to achieve and maintain certification, including tuition, travel, course materials, and paid training time; and 

Whereas certified operators are in high demand and often leave for higher-paying positions in larger municipalities, utilities, or private industry shortly after certification, resulting in operational vulnerability, recruitment challenges, repeated training costs, and a service gap that increases risk to public health and regulatory compliance; and 

Whereas small municipalities face limited tax bases and are increasingly unable to offer competitive compensation or career pathways that support long-term operator retention; 

Therefore be it resolved that SUMA advocate the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada to develop and fund a retention-focused solution for small municipalities, including one or more of the following: 

1. A Provincial Retention Grant Program that supports ongoing employment of certified operators in small communities for a defined term following training; 

2. A Bonding/Return-of-Service Framework created at the provincial level to ensure cost-shared training investments result in retained municipal talent; 

3. Funded Regional Operator Sharing Models, including cross-municipal agreements, mobile circuit riders, or dedicated regional public utility operators; and 

4. Review of provincial wage supports or classification programs to ensure small municipalities remain viable service providers in compliance with regulated certification requirements. 

Background

Municipal water and wastewater systems rely on highly trained, provincially certified operators. Small municipalities bear significant training costs yet struggle to retain these employees once certification is achieved due to limited fiscal capacity and wage competitiveness. This results in recurring recruitment, training expenses, service disruptions, and heightened regulatory risk. A coordinated provincial or federal retention framework is necessary to stabilize rural and small-town utility operations, protect public health, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.