Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/608970
and purchasing for Morris Industries. "That certainly helps on the steel side and supply side of the loops and the other equipment that goes with geother- mal. The geothermal market has been competitive as it's ever been." Keeping an eye on housing starts Housing start statistics are tied to the U.S. economy as they detail the number of new houses begun during a particular period. The trend in housing is also important to the water well industry as it can indicate possible construction of new water well systems. Bloomberg News reported in October housing starts increased 6.5% to a 1.21 million annualized rate, more than fore- casted and the second-highest in eight years, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The increase in starts was driven by multifamily homes, which rose 18.3%. Construction of single- family houses climbed 0.3% to a 740,000 rate, according to the report. In the water well industry, new con- struction that occurs farther away from the city is more likely to require a water well than new construction closer to the city. Stephens, head of Victory Steel, keeps this in mind when looking at the housing start index. "Improvement in new construction by itself doesn't guarantee we'll see more wells being drilled but it is an indicator," Stephens says. "Of course, there is the issue of what part of the United States you're talking about be- cause in many states plastic (polyvinyl chloride, PVC) is used more so than others." CASING from page 25 To search for water well casing suppliers and manufacturers, visit the NGWA Directory and Buyers Guide at http:// ngwa.officialbuyersguide.net. Water Well Construction Standard Features Section on Casing The ANSI/NGWA-01-14 Water Well Construction Standard is divided into 11 sections. Each section of the standard was developed by a task group of drillers, contractors, engineers, scientists, manufacturers, and others related to the ground- water industry. The second section of the standard focuses on casing and the installation of casing. According to an article detailing this second section in the November 2014 issue of Water Well Journal, the cased portion of the well is where techniques, materials, and practices all come together to: • First and foremost, provide the means to protect the groundwater resource from contamination • Function as the chamber for the pumping equipment • Serve as the access point to allow future maintenance and rehabilitation of the well intake when necessary. The standard presents key material and installation criteria that should be care- fully evaluated for the individual well purpose in an easy-to-follow outline format. For example, the standard lists common grades of steel, steel alloy materials, and PVC by their specific ASTM designations, which are acceptable for water well construction. To learn more and purchase your copy of the ANSI/NGWA-01-14 Water Well Construction Standard, visit the NGWA Bookstore at www.NGWA.org. Mike Price is the senior editor of Water Well Journal. In addition to his WWJ respon- sibilities, Price produces NGWA's newsletter and contributes to the Association's quarterly scientific publication. He can be reached at mprice@ngwa.org. WWJ 26 December 2015 WWJ or CALL f o FREE* H y th ou tr w after y e kno W o lamps y y c be the onl hers are orqu e To s 1 6962 ose Clamps hem, these will . ou will buy y. e not) ue 1-6962 t ib t t i k de in USA (IDEAL and ot Housing Provides More d others do not) terial Plus Better Prices Call Merrill 1 800 83 100% Mad Stronger H (IDEAL and Better Mat Call Merrill 1-800-83 d t t k t di W K F Sto ww Service - Quality - Selection Known For Must See Pro Show A Show - Las V 1 - NGW WA B NEW e send you a coupon to take to your dis We send you a coupon to take to your distributor to pick up your FREE* box of 10 clam Booth #81 rm Lake, Iowa 50588 1-800-831-6962 .merrillmfg.com ww oducts egas! w - Las V Vegas! stributor to pick up your mps Service - Quality - Selection waterwelljournal.com