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
Water Wells

How does hydrogeology affect water well drilling?

By Holly Case
Hydrogeologist
May 29, 2014
Edward Everett has the kind of breadth and depth of industry perspective that can only be gained through years of experience. As a hydrogeologist, he understands many of the issues facing water well drillers today — and he brings to his work the unique perspective of someone who has actually worked as a driller himself.

 

Q. How did you get started in the industry?

Irrigation MAIN
Many younger geologists focus on contamination issues and not as much on water supplies, according to Everett. Source: istock

A. I got a master’s degree in geology, with a specialty in hydrogeology. The industry was quite a bit different in those days. Back in the ’70s, we studied surface water as it applied to mining and construction. There wasn’t much of a focus on environmental issues yet.

Right out of college, I went to work on a rig, and I started out doing the hard stuff. In those days, [the rigs] would hire operators right out of college with geology degrees. But today, most geology programs at the university level don’t give this kind of exposure to the drilling industry anymore. And I just don’t see the enthusiasm in young people today to stand out in the cold for 12 to 16 hours a day to learn how a rig really works. The hands-on experience really gives you a good understanding.

Over the years, I began to work on bigger projects related to water supply development and wastewater disposal. I’ve also worked on a long list of projects, a little bit of everything, including post-derailment clean-up of CSX train wrecks and Environmental Protection Agency efforts to abandon lagoons and switch over to shallow wells. Most of what I’ve done in recent years focused primarily on analyzing irrigation wells for municipal water supplies. And, of course, I worked on what I called “the dam project in Hell,” where we worked on a dam in Hell, Mich.

 

Q. What types of projects do you work on that may affect drillers?

A. The range of work I have done in the industry gives me a kind of experience and perspective that isn’t a common combination. A lot of the work we do can really benefit drillers, too. For example, Michigan has the new progressive water withdrawal guidelines. We are able to evaluate real hydrogeologic conditions, which affects drilling. We take site–specific data and apply it in a way to try to help get the site approved.

We also analyze data from aquifers, which can measure water levels and make drilling projects a lot easier to accomplish. By analyzing the data we collect, we can determine if the aquifer will produce the kind of water that drillers want. There’s nothing worse than starting a drilling project and having to abandon it when the water runs out.

 

Q. Is there a common misconception drillers have about hydrogeologists?

A. I would not say that there are common misconceptions, per se. Instead, I think that a lot of drillers don’t know enough about what we do and how we can help them to do their job better. Old school geologists like me learned about water supply issues and conservation, conserving our resources, that kind of thing. It seems like the younger geologists are more concerned about contamination and may not know as much about the water supply. There are a number of very sophisticated drillers out there who know a lot about the geology factor, but they may not know as much about what it takes to produce a good aquifer.

Some of us have a tremendous understanding of what goes into creating a good water supply. Younger geologists tend to think local — will there be enough water for this particular project? — not about what an aquifer can handle. We could really help them.

When we show up on a site with our little black trailer full of equipment, sometimes the drillers seem worried that we’ll find out they didn’t do their geophysical logs correctly. Sometimes they call us “black ops.” But I tell you what, most of them do a really great job. You almost never see them write much down but they always get the details right.

 

Q. What would you say to drillers who look at what you do and think, “This may work on paper, but it won’t work in the field?”

A. I think we can really work together, and that would start if they had a better understanding of what we do. You know, a lot of people can take data out of a computer, but we have a lot more knowledge than we used to, and a lot of that knowledge is really useful.

As an industry, we all have to learn a lot more to keep up with changing regulations. As we get more use out of our groundwater and face more environmental restrictions, we have to know how we can access water more efficiently. There’s a lot more science brought into it now than there used to be, which is how I think hydrogeologists can really benefit them. We can modify their well design and help them change it a little, to help them design a more efficient well.

At the same time, though, I really have to give credit to well drillers. They know more about the local geology than just about anybody else, even if they don’t have the textbook knowledge about the science behind it.

 

Q. With your years of experience in hydrogeology, is there anything that groundwater does that still surprises you?

A. The day that I don’t learn something new about groundwater flow will be the day I’m pushing grass up. It’s true that a lot of things don’t change about water. But it’s always a surprise how geology can change so rapidly even within the same region, and that affects what we do. You get another notch in your belt of, “boy, I haven’t seen that one before.”

I really like working with drillers, and I hope to have more opportunities to work with them on projects in the future. Drillers as a group are good, down-to-earth people who work hard and really invest a lot into their equipment.


About Edward Everett

Edward Everett is a certified professional geologist with Strata Environmental Services in central Michigan. The company offers a range of services, including water supply development and remediation. For more information, email strata@acd.net or visit www.strataenvironmentalservices.com.

KEYWORDS: well drilling

Share This Story

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

Holly Case is a freelance writer for The Driller.

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...
    Environmental Monitoring
    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...
    Markets
    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: 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, 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: 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

demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit

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

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

  • David King

    How Does Bit Weight Affect Success on Drilling Jobs?

    See More
  • Wayne Nash

    How Does Cement Curing Affect PVC Pipe?

    See More
  • Michael Kleespies

    How Does Graphite Affect Conductivity of Geothermal Wells?

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-well-pumps.gif

    Audel Water Well Pumps and Systems Mini-Ref

See More Products

Related Directories

  • Alberta Water Well Drilling Assn.

    Non-profit organization supporting the interest and welfare of the water well industry in all of its phases.
×

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