Job Role Summary

Staff in Department of Water Quality and Hazardous Materials (WQHMM) are highly trained environmental health specialists, and their work offers a wealth of learning experiences for an internship. The WQHMM department oversees the licensing of public swimming pools and body art facilities. The department also permits the installation and repair of private wells, private onsite sewage systems, and commercial swimming pools. The department conducts routine stream and river water sampling and offers sampling services to private well owners. Additionally, the department oversees code enforcement for issues related to the above programs as well as hazardous materials management, indoor air quality, and wellfield protection. The water quality intern will assist with departmental field work such as surface water sampling routes, windshield surveys, and shadowing inspectors on inspections related to private well water, private sewage disposal, hazardous materials, swimming pools, body art, indoor air quality, or wellfield protection. The water quality intern will also assist with other projects as needed in the department such as data entry, data analysis, literature reviews, etc.
 

Associated Job Duties

Intern Job Responsibilities:
Exact job responsibilities will vary but will involve assisting with fieldwork and departmental projects as needed.

Qualifications

Intern Qualifications/Skills:
An ideal candidate for the internship would be a quick learner, have a strong knowledge of basic science, and be a good oral and written communicator.
The water quality intern may be asked to help with office clerical work when needed. 

Education/Experience:
An ideal candidate for the internship would be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree program concentrating on environmental health, public health, epidemiology, informatics, biostatics, biology, chemistry, or other relevant scientific concentration or major. Preference may be given to students in the later years of their undergraduate programs or in graduate programs.

 Qualifications:
  No minimum qualifications
     

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

 An ideal candidate for the internship will have a strong understanding of basic science, specifically in biology, chemistry, environmental science, public health, epidemiology, informatic, or biostatistics.

Working Environment

The fieldwork environment is subject to outside weather conditions which could include working in rain, cold, snow, ice, heat, and sun. There may be periods of extended walking and standing during field activities and lifting of approximately 40 pounds. The office environment is a standard office environment that may involve sitting for long periods of time at a desk, looking at a computer screen, and typing.