Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/608970
Several professions associated with the groundwater industry are expected to grow quite a bit between 2012 and 2022. The State of Louisiana completed a survey in 2013 that had similar conclu- sions. At the request of their state legis- lature, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Conserva- tion conducted research into the avail- ability of water well drillers in the state due to consumer concern over the decline of the industry as a whole. The research found: The number of Louisiana-licensed water well drillers actually has re- mained relatively static in recent years, decreasing only 4% from 2003- 04 to 2012-13 (257 to 246 in total numbers) despite a marked contrac- tion in demand for water wells. Water well drillers continue to be licensed in numbers that largely offset annual re- tiremen ts. (Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conser- vation 2013) Giving some real-life perspective on retirement of groundwater professionals, Mark Bausch with the Indiana Depart- ment of Natural Resources Division of Water noted Indiana has about 1104 licensees. According to Bausch, "approxi- mately 10 percent of all licensed water well drillers and water well pump installers are 65 years old, or older. These are the folks born during 1950 or before." Are all of these retirees still working in the field? Unless we interview each license-holder in each state in the United States individually to find out their working status, there is no way to really know for certain. Statistics are at best just statistics after all. Perhaps the numbers are somewhat deceiving. Water well drillers over the age of 65 and even 70 don't drill any- more but maintain their license nonethe- less. Perhaps they have an apprentice they are responsible for overseeing or perhaps they maintain their license for other reasons. One such driller who is 83 still at- tends continuing education every year to maintain a license in both Texas and New Mexico. "I've been a driller most of my life," he says. "I'll keep my license as long as they'll let me. It's who I am and what I do." Even though he's older than a baby boomer, his attitude probably sums up the feelings of most aging licensed groundwater professionals. Sources API, American Petroleum Institute. 2015. "Energy Works for America." Bankers Life Center for a Secure Retire- ment. 2015. "New Expectations, New Rewards: Work in Retirement for Middle-Income Boomers." Retirement Study. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2013. Occu- pational employment projections to 2022. December 2013. WWJ Figure 1. Employment of earth drillers, except oil and gas, by state, May 2014. CHANGE from page 21 22 December 2015 WWJ waterwelljournal.com