Municipal road crews are on the front lines of stormwater management whether they realize it or not. Every ditch they shape, every culvert they install, and every roadside repair they complete has a direct impact on how water moves across the landscape. Yet in many public works departments, stormwater knowledge is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals, often supervisors who themselves were never formally trained. This creates a fragile system where critical infrastructure decisions are based more on habit and guesswork than on sound engineering principles.
The most common reason stormwater infrastructure is installed incorrectly or poorly located is not laziness or lack of effort, it is a lack of understanding. Many supervisors have learned by watching others rather than through structured training. They may know what has been done in the past, but not why it was done that way, or whether those practices were correct to begin with. Without a clear grasp of concepts like watershed behavior, pipe sizing, hydraulic capacity, or proper grading, even well-intentioned crews can make decisions that lead to chronic drainage problems, road damage, and costly rework.
When only a small number of employees receive formal training, departments expose themselves to significant risk. Knowledge becomes siloed, and institutional memory is tied to specific individuals rather than the organization as a whole. The moment a trained employee retires, resigns, or is absent during a critical project, the department is left scrambling. The remaining crew members, often highly capable laborers, are suddenly expected to make technical decisions about pipe diameter, invert elevations, and cover requirements without the background needed to do so confidently or correctly.
This issue is magnified in union environments where promotions are frequently based on seniority rather than demonstrated technical competency. A worker who has spent years performing manual tasks may be elevated into a supervisory role without ever having been taught the fundamentals of stormwater management. If more experienced employees decline leadership roles, less experienced individuals may be placed in charge out of necessity. Without proper training, they inherit responsibility without preparation, increasing the likelihood of mistakes that can affect infrastructure performance for decades.
A more resilient approach is to treat training as a universal requirement rather than a selective opportunity. Every member of a road crew should understand the basics of how stormwater systems function, including how water flows through a drainage network, how to properly install and align culverts, how to recognize signs of failure, and how maintenance activities influence long-term performance. This does not mean every worker needs to be an engineer, but it does mean every worker should be equipped to recognize when something is wrong and understand the reasoning behind proper installation practices.
There is also a practical benefit to broad-based training in day-to-day operations. Crews that understand the purpose behind their work are more likely to take ownership of it. A worker who knows why a culvert must be set at a specific elevation or why proper compaction around a pipe matters is less likely to cut corners. Communication within the crew improves as well, since everyone shares a common vocabulary and understanding of objectives. Instead of relying on a single supervisor to make every decision, the entire team becomes capable of contributing to better outcomes.
The analogy to military training is particularly appropriate. Effective organizations do not assume that leadership will always be present or that experienced personnel will always be available. They prepare every member to step up when needed. Public works departments should adopt the same mindset. If a supervisor is absent, the crew should still be able to carry out work in a way that meets established standards. If a new leader is promoted, they should already possess the foundational knowledge required to succeed.
Investing in comprehensive training also pays dividends in risk reduction and cost savings. Improperly installed stormwater infrastructure can lead to road washouts, property damage, regulatory violations, and emergency repairs that far exceed the cost of preventative education. Sending an entire crew to training may seem expensive in the short term, but it is minor compared to the cumulative cost of repeated mistakes and reactive maintenance.
Ultimately, stormwater management is not a specialized task reserved for engineers or supervisors, it is an integral part of everyday road work. Treating it as such requires a shift in how departments approach training and workforce development. By ensuring that every crew member understands both the how and the why of their work, municipalities can build more reliable infrastructure, reduce long-term costs, and create teams that are capable, adaptable, and prepared for whatever challenges arise.