Summer Internship in Raw Water and Pipeline Maintenance Engineering Unit Civil Engineering
Valley Water
Salary: $28.27 Hourly
Job Type: Internship/Temporary Worker
Job Number: 00285-SI
Location: CA, CA
Department: Water Utility Summer Internship Program
Closing: 2/15/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Description
SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY!
Summer Internship in Raw Water and Pipeline Maintenance Engineering Unit - Civil Engineering
Location: Valley Water Headquarters (5700 Almaden Expy. San Jose, CA)
2 Internships Available!
OVERVIEW
Do you want to make a difference in your community while also gaining priceless career experience? Do you want to expand your network and build your resume while learning about the water industry? If so, a summer internship with Valley Water may be the best choice for you! Join us and use your talents to help maintain safe and clean water for a healthy environment.
Our Commitment:
We are committed to building and sustaining a working environment where all individuals are respected and valued. We believe every member of our team brings unique perspectives that enhance our ability to serve the public effectively. By fostering a workplace with employees from the communities we serve, we broaden our collective understanding of the world around us and strengthen our mission to equitably provide safe, clean water, natural flood protection, and environmental stewardship.
About Valley Water:
Valley Water is a public agency with an operating and capital budget of $964 million, and over 900 employees. With headquarters in San Jose, Valley Water provides water supply, enhances streams and watersheds through creek restoration and habitat protection, provides flood protection for homes, schools, businesses and roadways, and partners with other agencies to provide trails and open space for the community.
About Next Gen Career Pathway's Summer Internships:
The 2026 College Summer Internship Program offers students nationwide a chance to gain practical experience while exploring careers in the water industry. Each intern will have a Valley Water staff mentor and will receive professional development training, participate in networking events, and prepare a capstone presentation at the end of the program. Although some positions in the program will follow a hybrid format, with a mix of in-office and remote work based on business needs, other roles may require interns to work on-site full-time in a lab, office, or field setting, as specified in the job postings.
About The Raw Water and Pipeline Maintenance Engineering Unit:
The Raw Water and Pipeline Maintenance Engineering Unit provides civil engineering and corrosion control services in support of day-to-day raw, treated, recycled, and purified water operations and maintenance. Responsibilities include troubleshooting and designing fixes for problems at reservoirs, countywide pipeline conveyance systems, canals, tunnels, three large pumping stations, large diameter water distribution pipelines, recycled water pipelines, recharge ponds, three large water treatment plants, a water purification center and many of the Valley Water's other
facilities and buildings. The unit also provides input and support for Water Utility Capital Projects and performs a variety of condition assessments, corrosion, and specialty pipeline inspections on high value civil and mechanical assets, often deploying cutting edge technology in support of the Valley Water's asset management program. The unit recently oversaw the installation of technology to continually assess the risk of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) failure, and the resiliency of the District's other pipeline infrastructure is currently being assessed. The unit also manages the cathodic protection systems on the District's pipelines and tanks and is responsible for responding to emergencies when
pipelines and infrastructure fail.
INTERNSHIP LOCATION STATUS: This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite. For hybrid work, intern must perform their work in the state of California within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in (San Jose, California) by their start date.
Required License or Certificate
DESIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
- Pursuing a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering or related field.
- Taking (or have taken) coursework in water resources, hydraulics or hydrology.
- Knowledge of CAD is useful.
- Knowledge of GIS is useful.
- Experience with spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software is ideal.
- Ability to problem solve and communicate effectively.
- Motivated individual who is a self-starter, willing to learn, and hardworking.
Excellent written and verbal communication
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND INTERNSHIP TASKS (Representative duties include, but are not limited to):
- Support and learn from ongoing maintenance projects on critical water infrastructure.
- Prepare GIS maps representing water supply infrastructure.
- Assist engineers with hydrologic data analysis.
- Assist engineers with preparing drawings and design calculations for upcoming projects.
- Assist in the monitoring of the distribution system by deploying monitoring devices around the county.
- Assist with onsite engineering support for ongoing maintenance projects on critical infrastructure.
- Assist the team in conducting pipe inspections, pipe condition assessments, forensic analysis, and data management towards the maintenance and monitoring of pipelines.
- Support projects for the rehabilitation of large diameter pipes
Selection Process
ELIGIBILITY:
- Undergraduate applicants must be enrolled in an accredited community college or college/university and have completed at least two full-time years of study (i.e., entering their third/rising third or fourth year) by Fall 2026, or have graduated within the past six months.
- Graduate applicants must be enrolled in an accredited graduate program at a college or university in Fall 2026 or have completed their degree within the past six months.
- Proof of enrollment will be required prior to the start of the assignment.
- Applicants must be able to work full-time (40 hours/week) during the College Summer Internship Program.
- Only applicants who have not participated in a Valley Water College Summer Internship Program before will be considered.
- Valley Water requires interns to work within 150 miles of the Valley Water office they are to report to by their start date. The intern must perform their work in the State of California, not more than 150 miles from Valley Water's Headquarters' (5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA, or Valley Water's Sacramento Office: 1121 L Street, Suite 1000, Sacramento, CA) for the duration of their internship.
- Selected candidates must pass a pre-employment screening process, which includes reference and background/criminal checks.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Applications will be accepted February 2 through February 15, 2026.
To apply, applicants must submit the following through the online application system:
- A fully completed online Employment Application with all required questions answered. We encourage applicants to share details about relevant work experience, academic projects, volunteer activities, and/or extracurricular involvement.
- Complete the supplemental questions in the job application with detail and honesty. These questions help us better understand your interests and experiences. If you are applying to multiple internships, please tailor your answer to every internship you are applying for. Please ensure your supplemental responses are specific to each internship job posting. Do not indicate "see resume" as a response to any of the questions.
- Resumes and cover letters are optional but are helpful and appreciated by the Mentors reviewing the applications. Please label and include these documents in the "Attachments" section.
- Former participants in Valley Water's Summer Internship or Water Works Program are not eligible to apply.
To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/scvwd/jobs/5212623/summer-internship-in-raw-water-and-pipeline-maintenance-engineering-unit-civil
jeid-a6f21f43dd00c34184ebc9ae1e6aadd2