2026.05.19

Anna Hademalm – Water Industry Internship Program

Water Industry Internship Program brings together a number of students from all over the country every summer to explore the water and sanitation industry, one of society's most fundamental but also most invisible sectors. During the program, participants get to meet leading players in the industry, work on a joint project and build a network that extends far beyond the summer. In this interview series, we present this year's participants in the internship program.

Anna Hademalm is a third-year student in the Master of Science in Ecosystem Engineering program at Lund University of Technology and is aiming to specialize in Water Resources Management. This summer, she is one of the students in the Water Industry Internship Program, a step she has long been looking forward to.

How did you end up on a course against water?

It is probably during the education that my interest has grown really strong. What I find particularly exciting is how technology, ecology and community planning are connected within the water area. It is a combination that I do not find as clearly anywhere else. And that is the direction I want to delve into in the future.

What attracted you to the Water Industry Internship Program?

The opportunity to see how water issues are actually handled in practice, and to gain a broad insight into the entire industry in a short time. The program seems to be an excellent way to understand both job tasks and career paths, and to work together with students from different academic backgrounds. It feels like a really good way to both develop and make contacts.

The water and sanitation industry is said to be socially important but invisible. What makes it exciting for you?

The combination of technology, environment and community planning, and that it is about such a fundamental societal function that we rarely reflect on, as long as everything works. In line with climate change, urbanization and stricter environmental requirements, the issues are becoming increasingly important. It feels both meaningful and very relevant to be able to participate and contribute to making our future water-secure.

What do you hope to learn during the summer, and how does it fit into your future?

I hope to meet the industry in real life and understand how companies work with water issues in everyday life, what challenges are perceived as the biggest and how they work with solutions. I also want to explore what role digitalization can play going forward. For me, the summer is about testing the industry, understanding what I can contribute and how to solve major water-related societal challenges in practice.

If you could wish for one moment during the summer, what would it be?

To visit a wastewater treatment plant and see biological treatment up close. Since I'm studying ecosystem technology, it feels extra exciting to see how bacteria break down organic material in practice. It would be a real dream visit.