Civil Engineering Summer Internship

Who are United Utilities?

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From we will undertake the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years - that's more than £13 billion worth of investments. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier.

Whatever area of our business your interests lie in, our internship will give you first-class training and support, together with an in-depth understanding of your chosen business area - so that you can develop the skills you need to progress your career as you make a real contribution to the communities we serve. You might enter our organisation as an intern, but one thing's for sure, if you perform well, you may well be leaving with a graduate offer before you have even returned to university.

Working in the North West means there's a lot of ground to cover. You could have the opportunity to work in the heart of the Lake District, or you could sample a taste of city life. As well as our main office in Warrington we also recruit for a variety of roles based across the North West; we have 575 wastewater treatment works and 96 water treatment works in areas from Crewe in Cheshire to Carlisle in Cumbria.

Whichever internship you join, you'll be at the heart of bringing innovation and positive change to the water industry. Ready to flow into your future with us?

The Role

In the Engineering department the successful students will join a large team working on real business projects, carrying out a variety of engineering tasks.

There is an opportunity to develop your civil engineering skills whilst gaining real world experience working alongside technical specialists and engineers solving problems that could impact customers and the environment.

You will gain exposure to a wide range of water and wastewater projects and infrastructure. This may include( but not limited to) improvements to water treatment plants, clean water pipelines, wastewater network, and wastewater treatment works. Other types of projects may involve enhancements to watercourses and impounding reservoirs.

You will benefit from the shared knowledge within the Civil Engineering Team and expertise of working with colleagues across the wider Engineering disciplines whilst also developing your own specialist skills and providing a valuable contribution to the team.

We will help you gain an understanding of the projects being undertaken by United Utilities and the methods used to deliver them. Specific tasks may be assigned during this time. You will be accountable for delivering these with the support of experienced engineers and your line manager.

During your 12-week internship you may also be given the opportunity to visit some of our sites. You'll see how we carefully produce clean safe drinking water and how we treat wastewater in order to release it safely back into the environment.

You will also get the opportunity to mix with our graduates who can share experiences, tips and guidance with you for the next steps in your career.

What do I need to be successful?

Knowledge and Skills we are looking for:

• Have researched and have knowledge of United Utilities' engineering activities.
• Be working towards at least a 2:1 in an ICE accredited Civil Engineering degree.
• Be in your penultimate year of studying a relevant engineering degree.
• Have varied technical knowledge, not only through academic experience, but also through social and professional experience.
• Have a strong foundation of maths and science A-levels.
• Have good computer skills particularly in Microsoft Office.
• Be motivated and enthusiastic, an excellent team player, possessing ambition and drive.
• Possess good written and interpersonal skills and have the ability to communicate and influence across all levels.
• Be able to be comfortable working flexibly across a range of tasks and activities to deadlines as well as being able to prioritise your time.

Additional Information

Our recruitment process requires you to complete:

• An Online application form
• An in-person interview and presentation

Please note that you must be available to attend an in-person recruitment stage during the period 17th November - 19th December

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout your recruitment journey, please let us know.

If you are offered a job with us, a number of pre-employment checks need to be carried out before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory checking report from Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland.

Application deadline: 13th October 2025 - please apply early as deadlines are subject to change

Based on current immigration guidelines this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship

Due to the length of the programme being 3 months maximum you will be engaged via our resourcing partner Reed Talent Solutions and paid via a weekly timesheet.