The Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) Wastewater Surveillance Intern
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a strategic partnership between the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) and NIU: The DeKalb wastewater surveillance testing program. The testing of wastewater for the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, contributes to the public health and well-being of both the NIU campus and the surrounding communities through an electronic dashboard that reports results to the public and is updated three times each week. Wastewater from two community sites adjacent to the west and north sides of NIU campus and from the KWRD treatment plant influent is currently tested as well as seven additional collection sites across the NIU campus. This community-level testing replaced individual (Shield) surveillance testing in the fall of 2022.
We seek an intern to assist and contribute to this expanded wastewater surveillance testing program, beginning in the summer of 2023. The intern will be responsible for retrieving wastewater samples from the seven sites across the NIU campus, and maintaining the fleet of composite sampling pumps that mediate wastewater collection. The intern delivers the wastewater samples to an NIU BSL2 testing laboratory facility on campus that processes and measures SARS-CoV2 and other pathogens in the samples. The intern will work as part of a KWRD-NIU team and gain experience in community-level wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), an established and evolving high demand field in public health.
KWRD Wastewater Surveillance Intern FAQ:
What is the time commitment for Internship?
While flexible, the intern will work up to 20 hours/week performing duties related to wastewater collection and analysis, as well as any duties assigned to help managers at the KWRD main offices.
What are the duties associated with the internship?
The primary duties will be to maintain the fleet of portable pumps across campus and harvest wastewater samples three times per week. Such duties include:
changing the rechargeable batteries on each pump
transferring wastewater in the collection reservoir into a sample bottle for transport back to the lab
repositioning and clearing the intake hose back into the wastewater stream, as needed
resetting the pump for the subsequent 24-hour collection cycle
assisting with some of the analytical duties in the laboratory, as needed
operating a vehicle dedicated to the retrieval of field samples
What are the qualifications for the internship?
Candidates for this position must be NIU students in good academic standing and possess the physical strength to lift and lower up to 50 lbs (pump plus full reservoir, move sewer lids as needed, etc.). Ideally, the intern should have an interest in a wastewater-related career (public health, water reclamation, water quality, lab science, epidemiology) and a major in areas related to the program (biology, chemistry, public health, medical lab science, environmental studies, engineering, etc.), but these are not rigid requirements.
When does the internship begin and how long does it run?
The internship is projected to start in May 2023, and run throughout the 2023-24 academic year.
Is this a paid position?
Yes; the position pays $16/hour
How do I apply?
Applicants should send a letter of interest, current resume or c.v., and an unofficial transcript to both:
Mike Holland, Chief Engineer Dr. Barrie Bode
Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District Director of COVID-19 Testing
mholland@kishwrd.com bodebp@niu.edu
