Water Quality Monitoring Intern

Why Its a Great Opportunity:The Pierce County Summer Internship Program is back! This year our program will run from 6/8/2026 through 8/28/2026. We are excited to offer opportunities that provide realistic and meaningful work experiences while providing Pierce County Departments with interns who bring fresh perspectives and support to complete special projects. Interns are a part of a cohort that attend weekly activities together. These sessions include classes project planning and tours of various departments and facilities to learn about the County and the types of great job opportunities we offer. As a cohort you will be responsible for a culminating group presentation before the Pierce County Council.

Check out what our interns have done in the past!

Paid Internships Pierce County WA - Official Website

About the Department:Planning and Public Works (PPW) stewards a healthy and vibrant community by collaboratively planning and investing in our people infrastructure systems and policies. PPWs team has more than 800 members that collaborate innovate and inspire in performing essential services to the community. The department is responsible for the County road and levee systems sewer systems airports ferries building permits environmental review sustainability community planning and code enforcement - just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works here.

About the Internship: As an intern in the Water Quality section you will have the opportunity to interact with trained water quality specialists (environmental and marine scientists) wetland ecologists fisheries biologists and engineers. You will participate in a long-term water quality monitoring program and gain valuable skills in water quality sampling interpersonal communication operation and maintenance of specialized equipment and gain real-world job experience.

You will support in many exciting projects geared towards preserving protecting and enhancing Pierce Countys streams rivers lakes and addition to assisting with our stream monitoring program you will have opportunities to learn about the operation of weather stations make measurements of flow in streams download data from sensors in groundwater wells as well get on a boat to capture lake water quality measurements. You will also participate in a new project to evaluate the use of eDNA techniques alongside traditional methods to measure the abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates in the process you will visit sites across Pierce County from Key Peninsula to locations near Mount Rainier. You will see first-hand how stormwater and surface waters are managed at the local scale while gaining a deeper understanding of environmental policies and regulations.

How to be Successful in the Role:

In order to thrive in this role you will have genuine interest in how humans shape the environment around us especially our air water and climate. Our ideal candidate for this role will have a positive attitude be excited about science be a self-starter and show up ready and eager to learn. If you are someone who embodies all of these attributes and also thrives working on a team this may be the internship for you!

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Complete tasks in the office laboratory and field.
• Prepare sample bottle labels chain-of-custody forms and track sampling supply inventories.
• Collect water samples and record water quality data from streams using sophisticated instrumentation by following standard operating procedures.
• Process water samples and operate laboratory instruments.
• Conduct calibration procedures for instrumentation and assist with routine maintenance of field instruments.

Internship Requirements:

• A cover letter is required for consideration. Without one you will not be considered.
• Must be local 6/8/2026 8/28/2026 to attend in-person cohort meetings activities and any work-related tasks.
• Must be at least 18 years old as of 6/8/2026.
• Willingness to learn and grow.
• Education experience or coursework in environmental studies natural science or engineering.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (especially Word and Excel).
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds over uneven ground including up and down stream banks.
• Ability to ride in vehicles over long distances to field sites.

To be considered for this opportunity please:

• Complete and submit an online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting APPLY above or go to: you have a question about this opportunity please email the Recruitment Team at and specify the Job Number and Title.
• If you do not have internet access you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application testing process or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at at least two days prior to the need.

This is a competitive selection process. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education/experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the Countys needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include assessments phone screen and interviews.

At Pierce County diversity equity and inclusion means commitment not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit develop and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds cultures lifestyles and perspectives committed to our vision. Employees of the County have local direct and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a place people are proud to call home

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.