Intern Water Quality and Green Hydrogen Research Support

WSP is one of Africa’s leading and most diverse consulting firms. We are committed to diversity, equity, innovation, collaboration, and delivering sustainable solutions. Our culture empowers people to grow, take ownership, and make a positive impact.

WSP is offering an internship within the Water Use & Resource Management Team in Midrand.

The intern will support a Water Research Commission (WRC) project called:

"Scoping Study to Assess Effluent Water Quality Challenges and Issues Associated with Green Hydrogen Initiatives."

This project focuses on understanding water quality, treatment requirements, wastewater management, and environmental risks associated with green hydrogen development in South Africa.

You will work alongside experienced professionals, gain practical research and project experience, and contribute to national water and sustainability initiatives.

As the intern, you will:

Conduct literature reviews on:

• Green hydrogen production
• Electrolysis technologies
• Water treatment requirements
• Wastewater and effluent quality risks

Collect and organize information on water sources such as:

• Surface water
• Groundwater
• Seawater
• Mine-affected water
• Industrial effluent
• Treated municipal wastewater

Assist in developing:

• Water quality databases
• Data gap registers
• Confidence ratings on available data

Support mapping of the water lifecycle, including:

• Water sourcing
• Treatment
• Electrolysis processes
• Wastewater generation
• Reuse and discharge pathways
• Residual waste management

Identify:

• Water quality changes during the process
• Wastewater streams
• Environmental impacts
• Disposal and reuse options

Support stakeholder engagement activities by:

• Preparing stakeholder lists
• Gathering information
• Recording meeting outcomes
• Tracking follow-up actions

Contribute to project risk assessments covering:

• Environmental risks
• Technical risks
• Regulatory risks
• Social risks
• Operational risks

Assist with:

• Progress reports
• Technical summaries
• Tables and figures
• Project documentation

Maintain accurate project records and ensure quality control of data, references, and supporting evidence.

Promote a strong safety culture by identifying and reporting hazards, incidents, and near misses.

Essential Requirements

Currently studying towards, or recently completed, an Honours or Master's Degree in:

• Water Resources
• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• Civil Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Water Quality
• Chemistry
• Environmental Management
• Related disciplines
• Advantageous

Eligibility to support WRC capacity-building programmes linked to MSc student participation.

• Green hydrogen
• Water treatment
• Wastewater management
• Effluent quality
• Water resource assessment
• Environmental protection

• GIS
• Data visualization
• Statistical analysis
• Referencing tools

• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS Power Point
• MS Outlook

Strong technical writing and research skills.

The successful candidate should be able to:

Collect, organize, and interpret water quality and wastewater data.

Understand:

• Water resources management
• Water treatment processes
• Water reuse
• Effluent management
• Environmental and regulatory requirements

Support:

• Literature reviews
• Technical reports
• Risk assessments
• Data gap analyses
• Process mapping

Use Excel for:

• Data management
• Basic analysis
• Chart preparation
• Quality checking

Demonstrate an interest in the water-energy nexus, particularly green hydrogen and sustainable water management.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has strong problem-solving skills.
• Is curious, proactive, and detail-oriented.
• Can work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Manages time effectively and meets deadlines.
• Is eager to learn and respond positively to feedback.
• Keeps accurate and organized records.

Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa

Supporting a national research project on water quality and environmental management for green hydrogen development in South Africa.