El Observador: City Council gives the green light to work with water district on youth employment program

Originally appeared in El Observador on August 29, 2014

The San José City Council approved a proposal by Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen and Councilmembers Sam Liccardo, Kansen Chu, and Rose Herrera to explore the creation of a “Water Conservation Corps” along with plans for replenishing underground water basins with highly-purified, recycled water (http://sanjoseca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34275).

The Water Conservation Corps is envisioned to employ teens and young adults in after-school and summer jobs to perform specific conservation-focused tasks. Participants in the program could help the city meet its water sustainability goals by distributing information to users, replacing lawns with drought-tolerant plantings, and the like.

“Employing our youth can be a win-win situation—we educate our future leaders on the importance of water issues and conservation, and at the same time provide them with an opportunity to enter the workplace and develop their skill set,” stated Councilmember Sam Liccardo.

Regarding the use of recycled water, Councilmember Liccardo said, “The cost of water will increase rapidly in future years. Groundwater recharge provides a bulwark against that price spike.”

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