800000-039:Summer Intern, Clean Rivers

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority•Washington, WA

47d•Hybrid

About The Position

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties, locations, and responsibilities performed by incumbent(s) in this job. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties in this description, and incumbent(s) may be required to perform work-related tasks other than those specifically listed in this description. This job description is not a “contract” between the employee and the Authority. The job duties and essential functions may be changed at the discretion of the General Manager. The Summer Intern, Clean Rivers will participate in a rotational internship experience supporting three functional areas: Critical Infrastructure Projects, Field & Data Management, and Capital Projects Planning & Construction. Through these rotations, the intern will support planning, permitting, field observations, contractor coordination, data management, and project documentation activities related to DC Water’s capital and operational infrastructure projects. The intern will gain hands-on exposure to the full capital project lifecycle and contribute to reporting, tracking, and presentation materials while working alongside engineers, project managers, construction managers, and field crews.

Requirements

Junior-level standing or higher in an engineering program, preferably Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
Must be currently enrolled fulltime in an undergraduate or graduate program
Must have at least 30 credit hours complete
Must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to take clear field notes and prepare concise documentation.
Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for documentation, data tracking, and presentations.
Ability to work collaboratively with engineers, project managers, field crews, and contractors.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when managing multiple tasks or documentation sets.
Willingness to work in the field, observe construction activities, and follow safety procedures.
Analytical and problem-solving skills to support scopes of work, cost estimates, and planning tasks.
Ability to learn new software tools and processes quickly (e.g., Bluebeam, permitting systems, internal databases).
Ability to stand, walk, or remain on foot for extended periods during field observations and site visits.
Ability to climb stairs, navigate uneven terrain, and move safely around active construction sites.
Ability to carry a field notebook, tablet, or small equipment (typically under 10 pounds).
Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions (e.g., heat, rain) while following safety protocols.
Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, safety glasses, reflective vests, gloves, and steel-toe boots.
Ability to hear and communicate clearly in field environments with background noise.
Ability to sit or work at a computer for extended periods when performing documentation, design review, or data management tasks.

Nice To Haves

GIS capabilities (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar), particularly for mapping and geospatial data management.
Familiarity with civil engineering concepts, construction processes, or infrastructure systems.
Experience or coursework in civil engineering, construction management, environmental engineering, or related disciplines.
Basic understanding of project management principles, including scheduling, task tracking, and estimating.
Experience using Bluebeam or similar PDF-based design review tools.
Ability to analyze drawings, maps, and technical documents.

Responsibilities

Gain a foundational understanding of DC Water’s capital project lifecycle, including planning, design review, permitting, construction, and closeout.
Develop skills in field observation, documentation, project tracking, and stakeholder coordination.
Learn local permitting requirements and compliance considerations related to critical infrastructure projects.
Build competence in data management, documentation control, and GIS-based asset tracking.
Strengthen analytical skills through scope development, cost estimating, scheduling, and design review.
Gain exposure to field operations, including emergency response, valve testing, water main projects, lead service line work, and CMAR construction.
Improve written and verbal communication skills through meeting minutes, progress updates, technical documentation, and presentations.
Shadow meetings to understand project scope, planning activities, and stakeholder needs.
Assist in preparing documentation for permit applications and track permit status throughout the approval process.
Observe valve test shuts with Operations staff and record detailed field notes and test results.
Attend contractor coordination meetings and support project tracking and updates.
Observe field work related to valve replacements, water main projects, CMAR construction, and lead service line activities, documenting progress with notes and photographs.
Support documentation clean-up, file organization, and data accuracy for ongoing and historical projects.
Participate in field operations at emergency response locations and small-diameter water main construction sites.
Review design drawings using Bluebeam and help identify coordination needs or potential issues.
Assist in preparing scopes of work, preliminary budgets, planning-level cost estimates, and project schedules.
Conduct research on prior asset history and support planning tasks for a new vertical infrastructure project.
Prepare meeting minutes, weekly updates, and project tracking materials.
If GIS-capable, assist with mapping transmission mains, identifying recent replacement locations, and developing databases of historical complaints.
Prepare a final summary presentation highlighting experiences, observations, and contributions across all rotations.