The water treatment industry has been plagued by shortages in recent years, and some companies are having to hire less skilled workers to fill jobs.

But as the government tries to find ways to get more people into the business, some contractors are now turning to people who are willing to work for less money to help fill the jobs.

Read moreWater Treatment Services Group, a contractor that makes water treatment equipment and supplies, will not hire water service employees who are on the unemployment line, a spokesman said.

Instead, it will hire people who have a valid government job search, such as those who are working with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The company has about 20 people in the U.S. working in water treatment.

Water treatment equipment has become a hot commodity in recent months, especially after the release of the so-called Flint water crisis.

But many workers in the industry have been laid off and some are being paid less than what they were making in 2014, according to a survey conducted by the nonprofit group Food For Action.

The survey found that the number of water treatment jobs was up 2 percent last year compared to the same time last year.