Faced with the prospect of hundreds of employees becoming eligible for retirement in a relatively short time frame, the city of Fort Worth Water Utility knew it had to get serious about succession planning.
What transpired during the next several years, starting around 2017, could serve as a blueprint for other utilities facing the same challenges posed by the so-called “silver tsunami.”
The predicament created as waves of baby boomers prepare to exit the industry is well-documented; various studies show that up to 3 million water and wastewater workers nationwide — roughly one-third of the total workforce — will become eligible for
