The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

Over the Transom

By Greg Ettling
October 1, 2003
Editor Greg Ettling shares his thoughts on some indusrty-related issues.

Volunteers help collect water samples.
This month affords those in the water business a solid new marketing opportunity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is partnering with America’s Clean Water Foundation and the International Water Association to organize the first World Water Monitoring Day – Oct. 18.

“At this time, we do not have sufficient information to provide a national answer to characterize the condition of waters and watersheds in the U.S.,” says EPA assistant administrator G. Tracy Mehan. “We risk flying blind if we aren’t able to get dramatic improvements in water quality monitoring and data to support wise management decisions.”

Roberta Savage, president of America’s Clean Water Foundation, comments, “As the creators of National Water Monitoring Day, we were delighted by the participation of more than 75,000 Americans in 2002. Now in 2003 we have the opportunity to work with [other groups] throughout the world to promote personal stewardship and individual responsibility for the integrity of our world’s water. Our goal is to involve people throughout the world in this annual event and establish a base line for evaluating water quality trends.”

Andrew Speers, representing the International Water Association, tells us, “World Water Monitoring Day is about raising awareness at the global level of the importance of water to all of us and the quality of the environment in the local community. It’s a perfect example of thinking globally and acting locally.”

Volunteers will perform four key tests to measure dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity/clarity and temperature. Then they enter their findings on the Web. Test kits may be ordered through America’s Clean Water Foundation at www.watermonitoringday.org.

Do your best to take advantage of this chance to raise your own profile while your customers and prospects are giving attention to this important issue.

Hydro Hype

Right after the recent blackout in the northeast, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) trumpeted the role of hydropower in our country’s electricity system and called on Congress to adopt policies to ensure its viability and to encourage upgrades to the nation’s existing hydropower infrastructure.

The NHA has told policymakers that a lack of new investments has raised concerns about the security and adequacy of the system and that the country could shore up its unacceptable reliability margins through additional investments in hydropower.

Yes, hydropower was a key to getting things back up and running again after the blackout. And the writers at NHA’s public relations department have their jobs to do. I just found their campaign to smack of opportunism – but that’s politics for you. My initial reaction was that the message was only mildly off-putting, and I even questioned my feelings on that until I got to the part where the NHA touted the critical need for “additional investments.” Is there a taxpayer left in the world who doesn’t read “additional investments” as “more hard-earned money coming out of my pocket?” Were the writers able to keep a straight face when they hit those keys?

I think hydropower is great, and I appreciate its valuable contributions. I just feel the NHA could have done its campaigning in a less crass and more dignified manner so its message would be better received.

Perhaps I took it too hard; if that’s the case, I apologize for the rant.

We’ve Got Mail

Jay Foley of Foley Marine & Ind-ustrial Engines, Worcester, Mass., writes:

Congratulations on the great piece in the [September] issue of National Driller (“People Get What They’re Willing to Pay For,” by Jim Olsztynski). I think you should be applauded for couching the argument in terms of social class. No one else dares to do it. Far too few well drillers think like business people with capital, labor, etc. on hand, ready to deploy. Because they can’t get beyond their social class background, they don’t present well to clients. Yet, who do you think has more capital investment, a CPA with a B.S. in Accounting from some Branch Campus of State U., or a well driller with 200K in iron in his yard? The paradox is that the CPA has better health care, his kids go to real colleges (i.e., not beauty schools), his wife drives a company-leased sedan made in the Black Forest and he can plan for a retirement, not a dispersal sale.

As a side note, everybody in business should be reminded to stick a couple of business cards in their shirt pockets (our guys do wear shirts with front pockets, right?) before they leave the house in the morning. They will come in handy all day long – at the coffee shop, etc. – without the embarrassing grope for the wallet to extract a card.

In Memoriam

Porky Cutter sent us the word that the drilling industry lost Frank Davis of Portales, N.M., recently. He and a friend drowned in a boating accident. Davis, 39, gained national attention when he won the bidding for the Jay Leno-autographed motorcycle auctioned off to raise money for the Twin Towers Fund. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Opinions
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    Opinions
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Equipment
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

Tariffs

Tariffs Shake Up the Drilling Industry

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • From Over the Transom

    See More
  • From Over the Transom

    See More
  • For Openers: From Over the Transom

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\in-too-deep.gif

    In Too Deep: BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Shallow Draft Elevating Boats Inc.

    Shallow Draft is the leader in over the water barge drilling in two feet to 40 feet. Highway truckable to any location. Ocean freightable to any destination. Unblemished record of success since 1987! Shallow Draft IS THE GO TO COMPANY in the industry for tough over the water projects.
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP