For most teens, getting a job in water means a stint as a lifeguard at a local pool. The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board wants to change all that. They’re hoping to appoint some youths to several of its Advisory Boards. That means teens will have a say in protecting their drinking water, but also in overseeing the county’s water resources of reservoirs, streams, and groundwater basins, and in helping prepare strategies to protect residents from flooding. The Water District says that the decision is an extension of its Youth Stewardship Commission program.

The Board hopes to attract two types of young people: those interested in a career in water management (though you are more likely to find kids who want to be doctors, lawyers, and software engineers), and those interested in the environmental impact of current water policy. According to Board Director Cy Mann, the new program is “another great opportunity for the youth the be engaged and to learn how our advisory committees assist the board of directors on important issues.” In other words, it’s a chance to get their feet wet, both literally and figuratively, with local governance and policy making.
Read More at ABC 7.