Silvana Burgos was our 2018 Herman Bouwer Intern Scholar.
It is important for Arizonans to recognize the need to conserve and protect our water sources. We, as residents, businesses, municipalities and regulatory agencies, must work collaboratively to promote water stewardship. This summer, I was honored to have been selected as the Herman Bouwer Intern Scholarship recipient. The internship program allowed me to advance my commitment to the field of hydrology by granting me the opportunity to work with multiple hydrological organizations.
I spent the first 2 weeks of my internship with a consulting firm, Wood. I was extremely fortunate to be able to work alongside a talented group of engineers, hydrologists, and geologists. During my time at Wood, I was exposed to an array of topics and learning opportunities both in the field and the office. As part of my experience in the field, I had the opportunity to accompany a geologist and a field technician to collect groundwater and soil vapor samples from a contaminated site in north Phoenix. While in the office, I was presented with data to evaluate the removal efficiency of the chosen remediation strategies. I further contributed to the project by creating graphs to identify trends in the contaminant concentration and also performed calculations to determine groundwater flow direction and gradient.
After my experience with Wood, I spent the next part of my internship with the City of Glendale Water Services Department. As an intern, I toured the City’s water and wastewater treatment plants. As part of the tour sessions, I was also able to view the function of various key elements in water and wastewater infrastructure such as well sites, booster stations, reservoirs, and lift stations. It was an amazing experience to be able to witness the manner in which water is supplied to thousands of people. During my time with the City, I was also able to accompany staff members to various meetings with different groups including the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA), Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG), and West Valley Water. This opportunity allowed me to recognize the importance of collaboration between cities to promote water stewardship. Being with the City of Glendale allowed me to comprehend the vigorous amount of work and leadership that is needed in order to secure a safe and reliable water supply for people.
The last week of my internship program was spent with the Central Arizona Project (CAP). My days in the office consisted of presentations with various groups within CAP. I was first introduced to the operations group which is responsible for the supervision and control of the data acquisition computer system (SCADA) that scans the entire 336 mile canal every 10 seconds to monitor real-time water levels, flow, and system alarms. The following day, I met with the environmental team and toured pumping plants for water sampling and inspections. On my third day with CAP, I met with the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District (CAGRD) and learned about underground storage of water supply that can later be recovered and used during periods of limited water supply. Lastly, I learned about CAP’s commitment to minimize the effects of climate change on the Colorado River basin, an effort led by its Colorado River Program team. Spending time with CAP allowed me to comprehend the impact of the canal system to the state. I learned that the system of aqueducts, pumping plants, and pipelines not only deliver a basic human necessity but also prosperity and stability for current and future generations of Arizonans.
I would like to thank AHS and the organizations that hosted me as an intern. I was very honored and appreciative to have been selected as the recipient of the Herman Bouwer Intern Scholarship. I seek to continue to build my future career path and cooperate with those around me to make a global impact.