Water

RSS

Lots of people talk. Few people act. Oregon State University Professor Michael Campana easily fits into the latter group. The Driller spoke with Campana about his “H20 Talk” at this month’s National Ground Water Association 2013 Groundwater Expo in Nashville, Tenn. His talk, “Hydrophilanthropy: What can you do?,” discusses his efforts bringing water systems to those in need in Central America, and what groundwater professionals can do to make a difference.

I was contracted to fly to California as an expert witness for an attorney who was suing a well contractor because the well casing had been damaged due to an attempt to drive a dropped pump in the well. 

 Check valves are an important component of every submersible pump water system. In this article, we will talk about the reasons for using check and the different types of check valves, and show which ones are best for submersible applications. And, finally, we will go over the proper placement of check valves in these systems. 

 In my last column, I talked at some length about selecting screen openings and then ended up by describing one installation method: just driving a pointed screen into a water-bearing formation. Now, I am aware that in this day and age many screens are either threaded or glued directly to the bottom of the casing in a rotary hole. This certainly works, but if the screen has the wrong openings or fails for some other reason either at installation or later, it is impossible to pull. I’m going to limit my comments to screens that can be pulled and would be used in a cable tool or hollow rod drilled well. 

 Sue Luft knows first-hand about the problems that occur when a community’s well demands for water far exceed the amount of available water. The Paso Robles, Calif. vineyard owner has faced water shortages due to acutely stressed wells in her area and it has seriously impacted her livelihood.