Idaho Rural Water Association

Congratulations to Jacob Hyer, Public Works Supervisor for the City of Homedale, on graduating from IRWA’s Class II Wastewater Track in the Apprenticeship Program!

Jacob completed 4,000 hours of on-the-job training and 288 hours of classroom instruction while maintaining a full-time job. His dedication and commitment to protecting Homedale’s wastewater system make this an incredible achievement.

Pictured with Jacob are Mayor Kimberly Murray and IRWA Apprenticeship Specialist Jake Slater. We’re proud to celebrate this milestone and excited to see what Jacob accomplishes next!

Know someone who would make a great water or wastewater professional?

IRWA is excited to announce our new Apprenticeship Referral Program.

Help us strengthen Idaho's water and wastewater workforce while earning a reward for your referral.

For more information, contact:

📞 (208) 900-2224
📧 [email protected]

Please share this post with anyone who may be interested.

Can't beat these weekend plans! IRWA participated in the Genesee Community Days parade with our portable water trailer (which we used for the first time a few years back in this very community!) Thanks for having us back for one of our favorite events, Genesee!

While a large portion of the IRWA team trains at National Rural Water Association (NRWA) In-Service, a smaller force is taking on Association of Idaho Cities conference!

Your IRWA team is in Spokane, WA this week for National Rural Water Association (NRWA) In-Service training! The many training tracks offer new perspectives, essential training, and collaboration with our counterparts across the nation.

Joined by our colleagues at Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, BlueScope, Hilbers Construction, and Congressman Mike Simpson, IRWA broke ground on a new Emergency Services Storage Facility last week. At the groundbreaking, IRWA CEO Shelley Roberts, Congressman Mike Simpson, and DEQ’s Tyler Fortunati all spoke on the importance of safe drinking water and the importance of emergency response for Idaho’s smallest communities to get water back on line as soon as possible after a disaster. The storage facility will house transfer pumps, potable water tanks, generators, and more service equipment to be on standby in the event of a service-interrupting emergency. The facility will also enhance IRWA’s ability to provide critical hands on training for drinking water and wastewater operators. Construction on the facility is scheduled to finish this fall.

🎵We’ve been EVERYWHERE!🎶

This week, Idaho Rural Water Association circuit riders, source water protection specialists, and program coordinators are spread far and wide! From Emergency Response Training in Alabama to the Idaho Rural Success Summit in Pocatello to just taking care of business all over Idaho, you can find an IRWA team member just about EVERYWHERE!

As of March 2026, the IRWA Apprenticeship program has helped apprentices earn 156 licenses in water and wastewater operations. These apprentices are all future leaders of the Idaho water industry! Join them by learning more at the link in our bio today!