National Driller articles from January 2002

National Driller archives from January 2002

Poll affirms good news. (For Openers).(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... It was quite a year we just dealt with, 3 one that makes us look at everything just a little bit differently. Hopefully, this increased awareness will translate into a heightened clarity of purpose -- something we need occasionally. ...

Nose job.(Column)
January 1, 2002... Howard "Porky" Cutter This month my article will be a little short due to my recovery from a deviated septum (nose job) operation. For many years, I have had a problem with breathing through my nose and loud snoring. It has been known...

Water bill clears committee. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The House Science Committee recently passed the Water Infrastructure and Research Development Act, which authorizes $60 million over five years for research into ways to protect drinking water and waste water facilities against potential...

Bush signs arsenic bill. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... President Bush recently signed a $112.7-billion measure that included the official lowering of the amount of arsenic allowed in the nation's drinking water. According to the Associated Press, the bill included funding for many water-related...

Lawmakers endorse water plan. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A legislative panel recently recommended strengthening the powers of the state engineer to regulate domestic water wells in New Mexico areas facing potential water problems. The interim Water and Natural Resources Committee also proposed...

TMDL program goals unmet. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... An EPA official testified before a House subcommittee that almost 40 percent of the nation's waters assessed by states still do not meet quality goals established under the Clean Water Act. G. Tracy Mehan III, assistant administrator for...

Bottled water for all?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... U.S. households are water hogs. On average, each man, woman and child uses an average of 100 gallons of tap water per day. In fact, the United States consumes more water than any other country -- even ones that are equally well developed,...

House approves MTBE ban. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Legislation that would ban the gasoline additive MTBE is headed to the Pennsylvania State Senate. Lawmakers in the state House voted 196-0 last month to approve the plan to ban the sale or distribution of MTBE in the state starting in January...

EPA selects cleanup projects. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The EPA recently announced the selection of 31 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Showcase Pilots as part of the implementation of the second round of ground water cleanup reforms. RCRA Showcase Pilots provide an opportunity for...

Oil drilling ban becomes law. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... President Bush recently signed a law to ban oil drilling under the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes provision would prevent issuing permits for new drilling through September 2003 to give the government time to complete a study on the environmental...

Water leaders push CALFED bill. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Action on Water, a California coalition of water, business and labor leaders, is urging the House of Representatives Resource Committee to approve legislation that could help the state avoid the worst impacts of the next drought and continue to...

Increase in certification fees. (Legislative Update).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Beginning January 2002, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) will increase educational requirements and fees charged to point-of-use/point-of-entry (POU/POE) water treatment dealers operating within the state. Dealers also...

Rehabilitation vs. Redrill -- A difficult question.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... You've come across a well that is suffering a loss in specific capacity or is experiencing degradation of water quality. Or perhaps it's pumping excess sand, any gravel or air. If the well is encountering any of these problems, it may be time...

Understanding the pump selection process: The fundamentals of pumped water systems.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... During the last few articles, we laid the groundwork for pump selection by showing how to determine the amount of water needed in terms of gallons per minute, and the pressure required in terms of psi or feet of head, to satisfy the...

25 ways to cut costs -- A lot.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Most contractors are in a belttightening mode these days. You could radon paper clips and do a thousand other little things to save a few pennies here and there. Beyond that, here are some areas that offer potential to save bigger bucks. ...

Buying a used rig.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When it's time for a new rig, and you know that you can't afford a new rig, it's time to start looking around the used market. There are a ton of rigs out there on the market -- some good and some not so good -- so I'm going to try to give you...

National water-quality assessment program.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program in the last. decade describe water quality conditions in nearly 120 agricultural and 35 urban watersheds ("urban" primarily refers to residential and commercial...

Rock drilling hammer. (Product Info).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Manufactured completely in-house, Rock Hog down-the-hole hammers are suited for any type of drilling environment. Available in 4-, 5-, 6- and 8-inch sizes, these hammers have heavy walled dualtreated reversible wearsleaves to help extend hammer...

Flexible drop pipe. (Product Info).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Boreline from Hose Solutions Inc. is a flexible drop pipe that has been designed to replace the rigid risers used with submersible pumps. It is available in diameters from 1 [1/2] inches to 6 inches and in continuous lengths of up to 650 feet...

Constant pressure. (Product Info).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Flomatic Valves, a member of Danfoss' Water Valve Division, introduces the CycleGard II, which features an unleaded pilot. The CycleGard II incorporates an adjustable unleaded pressure-reducing pilot that can give a constant pressure from 30...

Wall cases. (Product Info).(Allegro Industries)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Allegro Industries offers an inclusive line of wall cases. New to the line are five defibrillator cases, plastic as well as metal. The four white metal cases come in corrosion-resistant steel with defibrillator graphics dominantly displayed....

Rotary screw package. (Product Info).(Gardner Denver Inc.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Gardner Denver recently announced its new rotary screw package -- the eXact RPM variable speed air compressor. Designed around the variable speed concept from the top down, the eXact RPM will operate continuously at 100 percent full load. The...

Interface meter. (Product Info).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The H.OIL oil/water interface meter from Heron Instruments Inc. is used to measure the thickness of floating product (LNAPL) above the water table. It also will detect and measure sin king layers of DNAPL. With its 5/8-inch slim probe, the...

Monitoring system. (Product Info).(Art's Manufacturing and Supply)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... AMS Inc. offers the GMS 2001 Groundwater Monitoring System, a small unit that has the option of creating documentation for monitoring results. The system simultaneously monitors pH, redax, specific conductivity dissolved oxygen and water...

Battery charge system. (Product Info).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... To prevent the normal loss of battery power on stored vehicles and equipment -- no matter how long they sit unused -- Pulse Tech Products Corp. offers the RediPulse AC-powered charge/maintenance system. This unit includes an AC adapter that...

Strobe light. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... The Meteorlite 16000 series strobe light is a high-intensity strobe light manufactured by Superior Signals Inc. It features an enclosed base and a j-hook mounting kit for permanent mounting and is also available with a magnetic mounting kit....

Side-looking mirror. (Product Info).(Marks Products Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Marks Products Inc. offers a motorized side-looking mirror attachment that provides a 360-degree side scanning view of the bore walls when used with any of Marks' GeoVISION micro cameras. The rotating mirror pauses every 30 degrees to give a...

Water pressure tank. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... The No Tank water pressure tank from In-Well Technologies Inc. is designed to be installed directly into a 5-inch or larger well casing. It eliminates the need for placing the pressure tank in the home and can be installed below the frost line,...

HDD drill. (Product Info).(Vermeer Manufacturing Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Designed to minimize support equipment and maximize operator efficiency, Vermeer Manufacturing Co. offers the Vermeer D 150x300 NAVIGATOR, a horizontal directional drill in the over 100,000-pound class that utilizes a fully integrated...

Numa. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... NUMA. highlighted its newest product, the revolutionary, longer lasting Double Dome (DD) Carbide Bit at the National Groundwater Show in Las Vegas. The DD bit features distinctive new carbide consisting of a double reinforced layer that...

SVE Sales Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... SVE SALES INC. Lightweight, high strength Jack Pads for single and tandem rear axle rigs. Jack Pads provide an instant "footprint," spreading the load over a wider area. Jack Pads are safe, don't absorb water and don't rot. Card No. 2

Flint and Walling Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... FLINT AND WALLING INC.'s Commander Pro 4-inch constant water pressure system is designed to deliver steady, city-like water pressure up to 65 psi, helping to eliminate pressure fluctuations and the need for an oversized pressure tank. Created...

Park plastic products. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... PARK PLASTIC PRODUCTS Sloshers Baffle Style Balls are an effective solution for eliminating sloshing in transport trucks. They are economically priced and increase vehicle safety and life expectancy. Sloshers are made of extra heavy black...

Kyle Equipment Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... KYLE EQUIPMENT CO. The new Kyle Equipment Max-2-CE is a top-of-the-line Hydro-Frac rig. The unit consists of dual 2-speed Hydro-Frac pumps, 4-cylinder deck mounted engine, plastic tool boxes and 10,000-pound crane with 360-degree rotation and...

Franklin Electric Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO. Franklin Electric's SubDrive 75 is the next generation of the CP Water family of products. It combines the reliability of standard pumps with electronics technology to provide constant water pressure. By continually...

Mills Machine Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... MILLS MACHINE CO. The MilClaw is intended for use in unconsolidated formations, from hard clay to soft limestone. This patented bit features inexpensive field-replaceable carbide-tipped cutters. Standard bit sizes range from 6- to 21-inch...

Driltech Mission LLC. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... DRILTECH MISSION LLC has designed and introduced the new Mission 6 DTH hammer and bit system featuring Mirror Impact Technology. The Mission 6 DTH hammer offers 15 percent to 30 percent better downhole drilling penetration rates and it is...

Flomatic. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... FLOMATIC introduces the Booster-It pump control center for the domestic water well market. The Booster-It allows the pump to deliver more water at higher pressure. Once water need in the main service line is satisfied, the pump will refill the...

KP3 Specialty Drilling Equipment. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... KP3 SPECLALTY DRILLING EQUIPMENT The new KP3 Heavy Hit Model Casing Hammer is the latest in pneumatic hammer technology from KP3 Specialty Drilling Equipment. This model has UP-drive extraction mode built in, electronic control or manual trip,...

Rockbit International. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... ROCKBIT INTERNATIONAL makes replaceable blade bits: the RBI-Gearhart blades are available in 3 7/8- to 6-inch sizes, and are offered as chevron (specials) or step (regular) type cutters. They are designed for high consumption or variable hole...

WEG Electric Motors Corp. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... WEG ELECTRIC MOTORS CORP. WEG has made available its full line motors and drives catalog. The full line of fractional and integral motors and drives are listed and available in stock for timely delivery. A full 292 pages, the catalog offers...

Waterline Envirotech Ltd. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... WATERLINE ENVIROTECH LTD manufactures water level indicators with measuring capabilities from 75 feet to 2,000 feet. They come in both coaxial cable -- marked in 5-foot intervals -- and in flat tape with stainless steel conductors -- marked in...

Better Water Industries, Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... BETTER WATER INDUSTRIES, INC. The "do-it-yourself" BWI Well Sanitizer Pack includes granular and pellet chlorine with instructions for sanitizing a well or storage tank. All BWI Chlorine Products are NSF Standard 60 listed (USDA Food Grade and...

Mills Machine Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... MILLS MACHINE CO. manufactures a full line of standard and custom-manufactured Continuous Flight Augers. The augers are available with the standard Solid Hex, Hexbor and Threaded Jet Auger connections in any size or length. A variety of bit...

Rusco Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... RUSCO INC. announces its complete line of SpinDown Sediment and Sediment Trapper Filters. These filters make solid particle removal simple and economical. The filters, available in four sizes, utilize centrifuge spin-down type sediment...

Little Beaver. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... LITTLE BEAVER Earth Drills, the professional choice for fast, clean holes. Designed for operator safety and efficiency. Patented torque bar eliminates kickback and reduces operator stress. One-man operation cuts labor costs. New transmission...

Portadrill Corp. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... PORTADRILL CORP. In less than 30 seconds, one person can safety lift up to 1,500 pounds from ground level and place it anywhere in the bed of a pickup tuck. Easily load or unload a wide variety of heavy, bulky cargo. No strenuous pushing or...

Istec Corp. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... ISTEC CORP. introduces FlowGuard, a new balancing valve. Watch the flow rate change as you adjust it with an allen key. The balancing valve is used to adjust the flow rate and the flow indicator is used for verification. Available in 3/4-, 1-...

Barnant Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... BARNANT CO. offers a free 20-page catalog featuring its line of Ponndorf hose pumps, which are available in a range of styles and sizes, with pumping capacities up to 108 gpm at pressures to 220 psig. Because the fluid contacts only the hose...

Numa. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... NUMA recently has expanded the range of the Super Jaws under reaming bit to drill holes from 5 7/8 inches to 48 9/16 inches. The Super Jaws bit, manufactured under a joint agreement with the Tone Corp., has a unique design made for...

Surface Instruments Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... SURFACE INSTRUMENTS INC. The PL-920 is one of the easiest RE locators to use, and yet is one of the most economical and powerful. It has depth estimate and an analog meter on the receiver, and an output meter on the transmitter. Both provide...

Marks Products Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... MARKS PRODUCTS INC. the manufacturer of the GeoVISION line of borehole video cameras, announces its new B/W GeoVISION mini Jr. camera. The high-resolution, low-light, 1%-inch diameter mini Jr. camera can operate in bores as small as 1 1/2 inch...

Water-Right Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... WATER-RIGHT INC. The Sanitizer Series is designed to provide clean, softened water by removing high amounts of iron and manganese, raising the pH and softening water through a single regeneration process. A 24-volt, 1-inch-high flow control...

Istec Corp. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... ISTEC CORP. offers a complete line of flowmeters -- the Series 1900 -- designed to measure and monitor the flow of irrigation, well water and even extremely polluted water. The meters, which are available in pipe sizes from 2 inches to 10...

Cues Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... CUES INC. offers portable, semi-portable and truck-mounted water well/bore hole inspection systems in single and multi-conductor configurations. Hemispherical scanning and fixed-view cameras are available for inspection of 4-through 30-inch...

Powers Electric Product Co. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... POWERS ELECTRIC PRODUCT CO. Powers Portable Well Sounder tests water wells to determine the static level, draw-down level and recovery rate levels. The instrument's cable, which has an electrode attached to the end and comes in lengths up to...

Christensen Products. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... CHRISTENSEN PRODUCTS offers a positive gripping action safety foot clamp with a spring-type knee action. It is activated by releasing the foot pedal; this moves the jaws forward to grip the rod or casing. Depressing the foot pedal releases the...

Global Water Instrumentation. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... GLOBAL WATER INSTRUMENTATION presents the WL15 water level logger, an instrument designed to measure ground water, surface water, flumes, weirs, tidal studies, wastewater. and psi. The product's features include 24,400 recordings in memory;...

The Charles Machine Works Inc. (Product Focus - Best of 2001).
January 1, 2002... THE CHARLES MACHINE WORKS INC. The new Ditch Witch Subsite 950 R/T system is designed to quickly and accurately locate buried telephone, power, CATV, gas, sewer and water lines on most jobsite conditions. The 950R receiver weighs only 4.5...

Crisis in Central Florida Looms. (NewScope).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Water experts predict that central Florida will run out of drinkable water in five years. Water experts have known for decades that the flow eventually would slow to a trickle, said Ed Fernald, a retired Florida State University professor who...

Diaphragm Tank. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... Well-Rite Online series tanks from Flexcon Industries are designed to be easy to install -- line up the short tank "T" and tighten the union nut with the Well-Rite Online tank standing upright, avoiding any need to tip the tank over. The tanks...

Drill Rig. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... Versa-Drill International Inc. manufactures a variety of drill rigs, including the V-100. Mounted on a Navistar 4900 6 by 6, the base machine is powered either by a Navistar DTA-466E Diesel 250 Hp at 2,300 rpm or a Navistar 530E Diesel 300 Hp...

Submersible Pump. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... F. E. Myers has added features to its Rustler Series pump, including an easy-grip discharge bowl with a large hexagonal head for easier installations and customized "Myers green" color on the suction and discharge bowls. Other enhancements...

Legal Video. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... "The Secrets of Small Claims Court for Contractors" video was created to show contractors how sue in small claims court. Its tutorials include ways to get the cash you have given up as a loss, major decision factors to know it you should go to...

Reverse Circulation Hammer. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... Manufactured by NUMA, the Champion RC210 features a valve-less down hole reverse circulation hammer design. This hammer, which ejects cuttings through the collection tube, has the ability to drill against high heads of water and can operate at...

Reverse Circulation Underreamer. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... To meet application needs, Mills Machine Co. offers a variety of customized underreamers. For example, LaFramboise Drilling of Thompson, Conn., needed to underream with reverse circulation through an 18-inch casing to open up to 36 inches in...

Storage Well plans revised. (NewScope).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A plan to pump partially treated water deep underground for a key Everglades restoration test has been scuttled. The South Florida Water Management District has backed away from that idea out of fear that it could jeopardize public support for...

Drill Pipe. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... LTA Corp. manufacturers inertia welded drill pipe for the Water well, utility/directional, above and below ground mining, environmental, construction, and oil and gas industries. The drill pipe comes in sizes from 3/4 inches to 16 inches OD,...

Remote site drilling. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... The Boart Longyear Rover BK51 HDT is manufactured to perform geotechnical and environmental drilling jobs at remote sites. It generates 5,000 pounds of torque at the spindle and routinely turns 4 1/4 hollow stem augers. It also is extremely...

Drag Bits. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... Star Iron Works, a division of Drilltube International, manufactures and distributes an array of drill rod, stabilizers, subs, rotary drilling bits, tools, parts and accessories for any type of water well drilling application. The company's...

Constant Pressure System. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... Flint & Walling Inc.'s Commander Pro constant pressure system is a product designed to bring city like water pressure to rural homeowners. This system uses only a small pressure tank and can therefore be placed where space is limited. Its...

Underreamingi Tool. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... In situations where the driller must drill and install casing at the same time to prevent overburden material from collapsing on n the drill string, Drillmaster International offers the Drilldex Underreaming System. The pilot bit, reamer and...

Grouting Material. (Product Info).
January 1, 2002... ENVIROPLUG Grout is a single-component, 30 percent solids bentonite grouting material, engineered by Wyo-Ben Inc. for use in monitor wells, earth coupled heat pump systems, water wells, grounding rod installations and hole abandonment. Its...

What Size HDD Rig?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The physicals size of the equipment and the scope of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) projects may vary significantly. Small HDD projects and operations differ substantially from larger operations, while the general practices are similar....

Vermeer introduces large, custom-built HDD Rigs. (NewScope).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Recognizing the need for large horizontal directional drilling machines that are capable of performing longer-distance, bigger-diameter installations and are supported by a worldwide dealership network, Vermeer Manufacturing Co., Pella, Iowa,...

Cheap Water Filtration. (NewScope).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Clay pots containing filtration materials are a cheap and effective way to remove dangerous levels of arsenic commonly found in well water in Bangladesh, according to a new report. The filtration system consists of three unglazed clay pots...

Facts.(water )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... * An average of 800,000 water wells are drilled each year in the United States. * About 60,000 public water systems across the United States process 34 billion gallons of water per day. Eighty-five percent of the population is served by...

Industry Loses A Good Man.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Don Kennedy, owner of Kennedy's Well Drilling in Brunswick Ga., passed away Nov. 24 at the age of 51. Those are the bare facts, but there is a lot more. Don has been my friend for many years. We met when we both worked for another driller....

How Safe Is Your City? (Portfolio).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released statistics identifying the cities (100,000 or more population) that had the most crime and the least crime. After studying figures on robbery, murder, rape, larceny, motor vehicle theft,...

Financial Planning. (Portfolio).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Management consultant John Graham advocates to base planning on facts, not economic projections. Economic upturns and downturns as reported in government statistics usually are short-lived, and sometimes turn out never to have happened at all...

Skills needed for the future. (Portfolio).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Do you sometimes feel dumbfounded by the information overload of today? Jim Cathcart has some reassuring advice for those of us whom occasionally feel overwhelmed and obsolete. "You don't have to become a 'techno-wiz' or voracious reader in...

Alternative time management. (Portfolio).(Humor)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Eleanor Bailey has a remedy for those of us who are at the end of our ropes when it comes to managing our time better. If you've tried everything else imaginable with no progress, here's her you've-got-nothing-to-lose, last-ditch effort plan:...

For better invoicing. (Portfolio).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Write "No Charge" on invoices as often as possible, advises sales consultant Eric Mitche11. Many projects involve services that could conceivably be charged but aren't. Remind customers of what your company is doing for them by listing these...

More smokers but fewer cigarettes. (Portfolio).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... There are more people smoking these days, but people are smoking less. According to an analysis of federal health, census, and tobacco tax and production statistics performed by Media General News Service, an overall decline in cigarette...