Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/573697
"So by putting the well in at an angle, we could still use a reasonably shallow aquifer and we could add a longer screen to the well profile so we could get more yield as opposed to try- ing to drill a short, stubby vertical well," he states. And because the aquifer is directly influenced by the river, the district can make use of riverbed filtration to reduce water treatment costs. Riverbed filtra- tion uses the natural soil formation to filter out the organic material and microbes. "We feel we found something unique by using the angled wells," Neibauer says. "The water is very consistent and it is doing some pretreatment of the surface water through the sands at the bottom of the river. It's going to be a benefit when it comes to treatment of this water and the treatment process." An Uncommon Choice Angled wells are most common in the oil and gas industry, but are gaining popularity for water supply, Bichler says, because of their ability to reach aquifers under bodies of water. Traut Wells has been drilling angled wells for two years and Traut says he sees real promise in the technology for water supply projects. "I do see that the technology has a lot of merit for people who have a tributary, river, lake, or buried aquifer that they can't get to with conventional rigs be- cause of physical placement," he says. "It has a lot of potential for shallow sand and gravel aquifers, especially if they have a lot of influence from surface water." WWJ 66 October 2015 WWJ waterwelljournal.com STRAWN from page 65 Jennifer Strawn was the associate editor of Water Well Journal from 2004 to 2007. She is currently in the internal communications department at Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio. She can be reached at strawnj2 @gmail.com. Certification Gives Water Well Contractors Leading Edge The Well Construction and Pump Installation Certification Program, which began in 1970, is the only national certification program for contractors and pump installers in the groundwater industry and is the ideal way to market your expertise to your customers. Through this program, groundwater contractors may earn the Certified Well Driller (CWD), the Certified Pump Installer (CPI), or the Certified Vertical Closed Loop Driller (CVCLD) designations. Governed by groundwater contrac- tors who understand the daily activities in the field, the program is designed to demonstrate pride in the job and to promote professionalism in the ground- water industry. It is recognized as the leading program in the industry by numerous state agencies, which have adopted the tests for their own programs. The designations show customers when they hire you that you're a con- tractor who is going to understand their project and offer the best solution. To learn more, visit www.NGWA.org. Under the "Professional Resources" tab, click on "Certifications and exams."