Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/573697
Guest EDITORIAL T o further accelerate the groundwater industry, the National Ground Water Association is developing an ANSI standard for water well pumping systems. The proposed standard, which was announced in May, will be useful for groundwater professionals actively involved in providing this type of service for customers. It will aid regula- tory agencies looking to provide valued oversight, as well as well owners and operators. NGWA's effort to create a national standard for water well pumping systems will be the first ANSI standard devoted specifically to pumps in water well applications. The draft standard outline provides a preliminary list of topics expected to be covered within the document, including: • Pump system design • Wellhead • Pumps • Tanks, metering, valves, and piping • Electrical concerns • Operat ional concerns. A national consensus-based standard can enhance con- sumer protection and heighten professionalism in the ground- water industry. Additionally, those who do not routinely work with pumping systems, such as consultants, will have a new and reliable resource to turn to for guidance. "This new standard is one way to keep the industry current and proactive in assuring we are protecting the resource and are delivering the best possible products to our customers," says Todd Hunter, CWD/PI, past chairman of the NGWA Standard Development Oversight Committee. When asked to compare the new standard concept to NGWA's existing ANSI/NGWA-01-14 Water Well Construc- tion Standard, Thom Hanna, RPG, present chairman of the committee, describes it as essentially the "same purpose, but a different part of the well." Hunter, owner of Ground Water Pump Systems in Boulder, Colorado, adds the pump standard "will help complement the work done on the Water Well Construction Standard, with a definitive way to effectively provide a quality product." Much like the well construction standard, the pump stan- dard aims to portray what must be accomplished for a proper end result—rather than step-by-step instruction on how to size or install a well pump. Otherwise described as a performance standard as compared to a technical one, a performance standard focuses on outcomes rather than process. Hunter says he describes a performance standard as one speaking "more to the expectation of the finished product and its performance rather than how to install the product in each unique or regional application." A technical standard may also be referred to as a design standard, which outlines how a service or product is produced. Because performance standards focus on the intended out- come, there is more room for professional judgment in how to meet that outcome based on the particular situation. NGWA's Standard Development Oversight Committee is seeking volunteers to form task groups and provide their expertise and knowledge in drafting the standard content. The committee is eager to begin work on the drafting process as soon as enough participants return volunteer applications. The ANSI process requires a diverse, balanced group of industry stakeholders to form the consensus body—NGWA's "task groups." Task group meetings will be held via confer- ence call and online meeting software at a time agreeable to members of the task group. In recalling the first well construction standard's develop- ment, Hanna of Bilfinger Water Technologies in Durango, A STANDARD FOR PUMPS NGWA is set to develop an ANSI standard for water well pumping systems. By Jessica Rhoads Join a Task Group Looking for an opportunity to give back while learning a thing or two? Consider participating on NGWA's standard develop- ment task groups. All interested parties are encouraged to apply. To do so, complete and return the Standard Development Task Group Application, available at www.ngwa.org/Professional- Resources/standards. Continued updates and more information will be available at this address. Completed applications and any questions should be directed to NGWA Industry Practices Administrator Jessica Rhoads at industrypractices@ngwa.org. You can also call (800) 551-7379 ext. 511, or (614) 898-7791 ext. 511 outside the U.S. Get a Jump Start A recorded brown bag webinar is available online giving an overview of NGWA's standard development process. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to view the webinar for orientation on NGWA's procedures. The recording is available free of charge at www.ngwa.org/Professional-Resources/ standards. 12 October 2015 WWJ waterwelljournal.com