Matt Ryan, chemist with Cotey Chemical Corp. for the past three years, runs a lab that researches water samples from all over the world. His clients are drillers and water well professionals that run into roadblocks, often when a well suddenly drops in capacity. He says that predicting what could be plugging a well starts with knowing the chemistry of the water. He determines many water characteristics including mineral content, alkalinity, hardness, pH and bacteria. He also collects samples of scale from the field, and works with company product enhancement and product development.
Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas Tech University, then taught high school and college chemistry for 31 years before joining Cotey Chemical three years ago. He still teaches part time at a private school in Lubbock, Texas, where he is based. He says that it is important for water treatment professionals to understand that there are a lot of different variables to consider and that every water well is different.