National Driller articles from June 2003

National Driller archives from June 2003

Another opportunity to shine. (For Openers).
June 1, 2003... "It's too early to tell; everyone's still kind of in shock." That was the typical answer we received when we spoke with water well professionals in tornado-bit towns and asked them for an assessment of their situations. Press time was right...

Raising awareness. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... After reading Porky Cutter's column ("MGWC Green Jackets") in the March 2003 issue, I had to shake my head. I am not a MGWC, however, I am a CWD. I feel that both the Masters and the NGWA should be proud of their accomplishments and that these...

Voice of frustration. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... There are several reasons why I have not renewed my membership or certification in the national association -- money not being the least of my concerns. I have been in this business for 35 of my 43 years of age. I rejoined the national to get...

Considerations for developing wells with air. (Kwader's Corner).
June 1, 2003... Proper well development is an important part of the installation of every type of well drilled including piezometers, monitoring wells and especially large-capacity production wells. Proper well development helps assure representative clear...

Jet pump control valves: the fundamentals of pumped water systems. (Tech Topics).
June 1, 2003... This is part 2 of our jet pump series. Last month, we said that a jet pump was a centrifugal pump with a jet assembly (also called an injector), either integrally attached, as in the case of shallow well jets, or remotely attached, as in the...

Improved stainless steel bypass. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Engineered for residential water softener systems, Pentair Water Treatment's new bypass, constructed of investment cast 316 stainless steel, replaces the company's previous brass version, offering improved corrosion resistance at equal flow...

Twisted Pump Cable. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Baron's Supreme Twisted Pump Cable from Coleman Cable Inc. is a submersible cable jacketed with Polar/Solar insulation and manufactured with 30 - gauge stranding. More flexible and higher in weight than PVC-jacketed cable, the twisted pump...

Hollow-stem auger cutterhead. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... USExploration Equipment Co. has designed a hollow-stem auger cutterhead assembly that performs in clay, hardpan, glacial till, sand, gravel, cobbles, weathered rock, shale and soft limestone. Elight segments provide the correct angle of...

Versatile water softeners and filters. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... New Impression Series water softeners from Water Right Inc. can be used alone or in combination with Impression Series filters to meet most water capacity needs. Numerous softener models meet the needs of a range of applications, form domestic...

Soil sampling equipment. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... AMS Inc. presents its new Signature Series equipment line. The Signature Series sampling kit features zinc-coated extensions as well as larger capacity augers with no weld or grind marks. The line consists of regular, mud, Dutch and sand augers...

Small-diameter hard-facing wire. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... HARDERN-Helle CRC2, a high chromium hard-facing wire, now is available in 0.045-inch diameter. With lower current and amperage requirements, it helps protect against severe abrasion. It produces a steady arc with very low spatter and little...

Portable hydraulic earth drill. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Little Beaver Inc.'s newest hydraulic earth drill is a towable model, designed for contractors who require a powerful but portable machine. Featuring an 11-HP Honda engine and a six-gpm hydraulic system, this new model, drills holes up to 16...

Watertight monitoring well plugs. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... The Monoflex 678XA monitoring well plugs from Campbell Manufacturing Inc. are designed to provide a watertight, tamper-proof seal a the top of a monitoring or observation well. The plug slips into the open end of the well pipe; turning the...

Waterbed truck. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... The Nautiless waterbed from Amthor Inc. features aluminum extruded cabinet doors with stainless steel hardware, full internal baffling approximately every 24 inches and 16 standard recessed stake and pockets. Bodies from 700 to 3,500 gallons...

Plastic slotted well screen. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Plastic slotted well screens from Johnson Well Equipment Inc., constructed out of PVC are designed for use in wells 1[1/4] inches or larger where sand can be held open or the casing pulled back. Slot sizes range from number 8 to number 120,...

Two initial filters offered. (Product Info).
June 1, 2003... Big Foot Manufacturing Co. produces filters that designed to be used as initial filters on the suction side of pumps using surface water sources. The 40G and 80G, rated at 40 gallons and 80 gallons per minute, respectively, are made of...

The pros & cons of going into business for yourself -- part 2: now for the bad news -- and there's a lot of it. (Smart Business).
June 1, 2003... Note: This artide is the second of a three-part series. It addresses the downsides of going into business for yourself and is aimed at field crews as much as the owners and managers who are our main audience. Last month's article dealt with the...

A.Y. McDonald's new president. (NewScope).
June 1, 2003... A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co., Dubuque, Iowa. announces the recent election of Michael B. McDonald to the position of president and chief operating officer. McDonald succeeds L.J. (Roy) Sherman, who will remain with the company as chief...

How to have a motivated work force.
June 1, 2003... For your employees to accomplish die tasks assigned to them, they must be motivated to do the work. One primary motivation is their fear of losing their paychecks, without that motivation, few would arrive for work each day. However, motivating...

MGWA convention marks: 75 years.
June 1, 2003... The Michigan Groundwater Association saw quite the show this year, at its 75th annual convention held in Grand Rapids, Mich., March 31 - April 1, 2003. With a total of 711 in attendance, the MGWA may boast a great success: 403 contractors and...

Synthetic-diamond drill bit development: Sandia National Laboratories has played a major role in advancing PDC bits.
June 1, 2003... Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Program, conducted research studies in the late 1970s and early 1980s that played a catalytic role in the development of PDC drill bit technology...

Constant Pressure System. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Grundfos Pumps' SmartFlo SQE Constant Pressure System is designed to automatically adjust water pressure to meet your needs. Its computer-controlled components monitor water demand and adjust pressure to meet it. The control panel displays...

Complete pump line. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... A.Y. McDonald Manufacturing Co. offers a complete line of pumps that includes bronze, stainless steel, high-flow stainless steel and turbine submersible pumps, jet pumps, centrifugal pumps, sump pumps, emergency back-up sump pumps, effluent...

Line of pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... General Pump presents its Eagle 4000 series of pumps. Available in 5-, 7-, 10-, 15-, 18- and 25-gpm capacities, the Eagle 4000 line ranges from [1/2] HP to 1[1/2] HP. They consist of a high-impact thermoplastic discharge head and motor bracket...

Regenerative turbine pump. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... The T31 Series of closed close-coupled regenerative turbine pumps from MTH Pumps, Plano, Ill., is designed for low-flow ([1/2] gpm - 9 gpm) applications involving moderate to high pressures (heads to 400 feet). T31 Series pumps contain only...

High-capacity submersible pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Flint & Walling Inc.'s Commander line of submersible pumps now includes 35-, 55- and 85-gpm models. Featuring 304 stainless steel suction and discharge castings, the Commander Plus series is designed to be impervious to most aggressive water...

Small portable bladder pump. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... The 3/4-inch Sample Pro portable MicroPurge pump from QED Environmental Systems Inc. delivers low flow rates for sampling small diameter wells, in direct push and conventional applications. Disposable bladders, push-in tubing and 1/4-turn...

Submersible solids handling pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Sta-Rite Industries' sewage pumps are built of cast iron and stainless steel hardware. Performances range from 4/10 HP through 2 HP, and standard features include thermally protected motors with automatic reset, 250,000+-cycle test endurance,...

Constant pressure pumping stations. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Chameleon constant pressure pumping stations, manufactured by Cycle Stop Valves Inc., feature a mechanical soft start and stop, constant speed pumps and no variable frequency drives. These pumping stations are available with 1-gpm to 10,000-gpm...

Water pressure booster system. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Davey USA's new HS multistage, pressure-booster system is controlled by the Hydrascan, providing constant and high-pressure water flow. It is engineered to achieve a strong, even flow to improve the performance of showers, faucets, washing...

Hand-lift pressure pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Oasis Pumps Manufacturing presents hand-lift pressure pumps used for liquid transfer. Built with high - impact plastic, weighing less than 4 pounds and designed to be resistant to salt water and most chemicals, Oasis pumps are engineered to...

Canned and rewindable submersible motors. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Sumoto SRL, an Italian manufacturer of NEMA-standard submersible motors, features two four-inch models: one is canned, filled with water, while the other is rewind-able, cooled by a special food-grade liquid. Sumoto also offers 3-inch and...

Submersible and booster pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... The Quantum line of 4-inch submersible and booster pumps from Hays Pumps Inc. features heavy-duty stainless steel construction, a bearing design with upper and lower bearings on the stack providing up-thrust protection, a heavy-duty 7/16-inch...

Vertical turbine pumps. (Pumps & Pump Products).
June 1, 2003... Vertical turbine pumps from Wolf Pumps feature a cast iron discharge case and a bowl shaft that is either stainless steel or chrome-plated. Cast iron discharge head assemblies range from 3 inches to 10 inches. The impeller is bronze, balanced...

Water Well Drilling enforcement loophole. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... Utah House Bill 91 titled "Enforcement Procedure Amendments of Water Well Drillers," recently passed through the State Legislature. The bill, modifies the Administrative Procedures Act to exempt state agency actions, or judicial review of those...

Budget excludes water infrastructure. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... The final fiscal year 2004 budget resolution approved by Congress did not include a provision adopted by the Senate that would have increased funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The Senate's original version of the budget...

Louisiana drilling regulation. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... According to the Shreveport Times, Louisiana is seeking legislation to establish a commission to regulate the drilling of large-quantity wells. The House Environment Committee recently granted approval to House Bill 1570. The bill...

Water-permit trading proposal defeated. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... A proposal to allow Georgians to buy and sell water rights was defeated by the Georgia General Assembly. The proposal would have allowed some open market trading of water rights to help redistribute some of the state's water resources. The...

N.J. Governor proposes water protection action. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevy announced a new rule banning. water pollution in 15 bodies of water, including nine reservoirs that provide drinking' water to nearly half the state. Under the new rule, streams and reservoirs will...

Well construction rules introduced. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... Ontario recently introduced new rules for well construction and higher performance for well technicians, as part of the government's strategy to improve water quality and-water delivery in Ontario. The new rules include mandatory training...

New federal Water Commission created. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... The House Resources Water and Power Subcommittee passed legislation to create a federal water planning commission; the bill passed by voice vote with no amendments. The 21st Century Water Policy Commission Establishment Act would establish...

Your people are the key: drilling contractor can't overstress the importance of his No. 1 asset.
June 1, 2003... It breaks down quite simply for drilling contractor on Martin. "The number one thing is people; you can't do anything without people," he declares. Martin, a second-generation driller, started Air Drilling Co. in 1966. The firm, a water...

Why we have meetings. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... Business meetings satisfy deep-seated (and sometimes twisted) psychological needs, according to noted author Stephen Baker. He says the main purposes for meetings are to provide opportunities for: * the consumption of large quantities of...

Healthier golfing. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... As if it didn't already inflict enough damage mentally, playing golf can cause physical harm as well. Sixty-two percent of golfers who take to the links twice a week or so have sustained some kind of injury from playing the game. The Johns...

Meat consumption at record high. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... Now more than ever, America is a nation of meat eaters. Last year, total meat consumption (red meat, poultry and fish) reached 195 pounds (boneless, trimmed-weight equivalent) per person -- that's 57 pounds more than the average annual...

Being careful with recognition awards. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... If you want to boost worker productivity; don't make the common mistake of handing out recognition awards to one or two of your star employees in hopes that others will take the hint and follow their example. It doesn't work. "To improve...

Aboveground treatment of arsenic-part 1.
June 1, 2003... Arsenic is a component of many industrial raw materials, products and wastes, and is a contaminant of concern in ground water at many remediation sites. Because arsenic readily changes valence state and reacts to form species with varying...

Pumps key to German Dam project. (NewScope).
June 1, 2003... Flowserve Corp.'s Pump Division office in the Netherlands recently supplied six high-capacity, concrete volute pumps to the German State of Lower Saxony's Department of Water and Coastal Protection. The pumps are for a new dam that has been...

A hole in one for hancor and history. (New Scope).
June 1, 2003... A half-century of history unfolds over the greens of the Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. The 150-acre course was the dream and is the reality of William J. Powell. Powell bought a rundown dairy in 1946 and two years later opened the...

Fracturing technologies to enhance remediation -- part 4.
June 1, 2003... Hydraulic fracturing is performed by injecting high-pressure water or a polymer gel down a borehole to create subsurface fractures. For site remediation applications, fracture injections can be accomplished against the bottom of driven casing....

Drilling of U.S.'s first hydrate well underway.
June 1, 2003... U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials, back from a recent trip to Alaska's North Slope, reported on the first attempt in the United States to tap methane hydrates, a potentially immense source of future energy using what could be the...

Jug Hustler. (Porky's Hole Thoughts).
June 1, 2003... Howard "Porky" Cutter At age 17, after graduating from Oklahoma City University having studied radio, television and electronics, I went to work for Phillips Petroleum in Thibodaux, La., as a radio technician, while living on a barge with...

Introduced bill requires perchlorate disclosures. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... Senator Barbara Boxer, Calif., has introduced legislation in the Senate guaranteeing a community's right to know about the use of perchlorate by companies. The Perchlorate Community Right to Know Act would require anyone who has stored or...

Hours-of-service rule revised. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the first substantial change to the hours-of-service rules since 1939. The rules govern vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001...

N.J. issues stricter regulations. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... New Jersey officials announced the first in a series of enforcement alerts to all of the state's regulated water users, who now will be subject to increased state inspections and stricter enforcement of water allocation permits. The...

Interior department sets water restrictions. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... Interior Secretary Gale Norton recently announced the Department of Interior has reduced the amount of water that the state of California is allowed to draw from the Colorado River. The amount of water the state can draw has been reduced by...

State bans herbicide. (Legislative Update).
June 1, 2003... The Michigan Department of Agriculture rejected a request to allow use of the herbicide Balance Pro on the state's 2.2 million acres of corn this year. A staff recommendation warned of the product's potential risks. They included...

Sprinq fever. (The World According to Wayne).
June 1, 2003... Looks like spring has finally sprung in south Georgia. It started out by raining so much, I could have raised rice and crawfish on most of my locations. So much for the drought. Good thing my rig has four-wheel drive; I know some of the other...

Telephone techniques for tough times. (Marketing Strategies).
June 1, 2003... Our economy is a dynamic force. It fluctuates based on several factors, not the least of which is consumer demand for services. If people think the economy is down or times are tough, they act accordingly. Despite the fact that the economy...

A case for well rehabilitation. (Drilling Fluids).
June 1, 2003... When well production declines or the quality of the water it produces changes for the worse, it's time to consider rehabilitating the well. Rehabilitating a water well is best done by using a combination of mechanical and chemical means. In...

NSF standards explained. (Water Treatment).
June 1, 2003... In product descriptions, advertisements and press releases, manufacturers of water treatment systems indicate the NSF/ANSI standard listing if their products are certified. It's a mark of success to be able to say their products have achieved...

Petersheim Bros. buys from Schramm. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Dean Stolzfus, president of Petersheim Bros. Inc., Morgantown, Pa., receives a new Schramm model T555 Rotadrill. This marks the seventh new Schramm Rotadrill purchase by Petersheim Bros.

Aqua wells acquires GEFCO rig. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Wendell Martin, owner of Aqua Wells, Ozark, Mo., takes delivery of a GEFCO 30K. Standing before the drill are Wendell Martin and GEFCO's Chip Nelson.

Rotary sells to John Clayton well drilling. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... John Clayton Well Drilling of Winston-Salem, N. C., receives its first Driltech model T25K5W from Rotary Drilling Equipment Inc., located in Olyphant, Pa. Proudly accepting delivery are Richard Webster, Keith Clayton, owner John Clayton and...

Delta receives rig from Nelson Group. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Acting as an independent agent, the Nelson Group Inc., Enid, Okla., delivered a Failing Jed-A reverse circulation rig to Delta Well & Pump, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Tom King of Delta says the rig will be used for large-diameter reverse holes in the New...

Northeast Drill Supply delivers to W. Gordon Goold. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Northeast Drill Supply of Middletown Springs, Vt., delivers a new Reichdrill T-600 WII to Alan Goold of W. Gordon Goold Inc., Valatie, N.Y. Pictured (1-r) are Alan and Walter Goold of W. Gordon Goold along with Paul Condosta and Jerry Parker of...

Kyle supplies Hamilton Corp. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Hamilton Corp. of Brevard, N.C., acquired a Kyle Max-2-CE Hydro-Frac system. This unit consists of a 10,000-pound crane with 380-degree rotation, 120-ft./min. line speed and all proportional controls. Mounted on a Sterling F-750 truck, this...

Mill Drilling takes delivery from Amthor. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Mill Drilling of Brewster, N.Y., obtained a 22-foot, 2,200-gallon waterbed from Amthor Inc. This body contains two 110-gallon fuel tanks, an IMT 2020 5,000-pound crane and a spring-rewind hose reel with 60 feet of one-inch hose.

Higgins and accurate drilling do business. (Trading Post).
June 1, 2003... Jody Jarmen of Accurate Drilling, Oklahoma City, Okla., bought this 1990 Failing F6 from the Higgins Rig Co., headquartered in Hodgenville, Ky. His rig is equipped with a 3L8 Moyno mud pump and a Cummins diesel deck engine. This unit, which...

Personal motivation. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... Paul Meyer of the Success Motivation Institute has some thoughts to share with us regarding personal motivation: * Self-motivation is the power that raises you to any level you seek. * It is impossible to motivate anyone else until...

Tough decisions. (The Business Management Files).
June 1, 2003... As deputy secretary of state for the Reagan administration, John Whitehead has considerable experience making tough decisions on delicate matters. He says that critical decisions require both time and strong support. Stay cool and don't...