Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/668983
In this ISSUE T he May issue of Water Well Journal focuses on irrigation and groundwater. This critical market will be highlighted in a pair of feature stories as well as a column by an industry expert. Freelance writer Jennifer Strawn sat down for a roundtable discussion with four groundwater professionals who work in the irrigation market to get their opinions on the market. In "An Inside Look" on page 15, she spoke with Darryl Cannon of David Cannon Well Drilling in Parrish, Florida; Tom Downey, CWD/PI, of Downey Drilling Inc. in Lexington, Nebraska; Dan Mackin of Flowserve Pump Co. in Deweese, Nebraska; and Chris Preston of Goulds Water Technology in Morton Grove, Illinois. Discussed were the group's biggest concerns, views on how the political landscape is impacting irrigation, advancements in the market, the future, and more. In another feature story on page 21, Senior Editor Mike Price continues his three-part series on "Aquifers in the United States" with part two on the Ogallala Aquifer. As the leading geologic formation in the High Plains Aquifer System, the Ogallala Aquifer extends across eight states, from South Dakota to Texas, in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. About 170,000 irrigation wells extract groundwater from the Ogallala. Price covers challenges faced drilling in the unconfined aquifer, water quality of the aquifer, water levels within the aquifer, restrictions for develop- ing any additional new high consumptive use wells, and a look toward the future. In the accompanying sidebar article, Price writes about how advances in modern remote irrigation monitoring have helped farmers become more efficient. The latest installment of the Irrigating Our Future column by columnist Mike Allen is titled "Making the Right Choice" and begins on page 30. Allen details the importance of pump selection and how the choice can lead to a successful operation or a major headache. Allen goes over the system head, reading system head curves, and provides ex- amples ideal for pump system installers working with irrigators. He discusses how some pump systems are engineered to produce high head/stage at a low flow, and other designs to produce high flows at a low head/stage. Allen shows there is no one-size-fits-all approach to pump design and each application requires questions to properly design an optimal pumping system. A feature story titled "Department of Energy Introduces New Motor Efficiency Regulations" by Patrick Hogg on page 27 goes over new motor efficiency standards that take effect on June 1. The standards state newly purchased 1 hp to 500 hp industrial electric motors will be required to meet NEMA Premium ® efficiency standards, or they cannot be manufactured or imported into the United States. Hogg explains why the motors are being regulated and what it means to you as a groundwater contractor. He also provides a sidebar that lists the motors exempt from the standard: Air- over motors; component sets of electric motors; liquid-cooled motors; submersible motors; and definite-purpose, inverter-fed motors. Ronald B. Peterson continues his Water Wells and Common Cent$ column by discussing the importance of planning for jobs before heading to the job site. Early in the column titled "Planning for Performance" and beginning on page 38, he states the six P's of planning: "Proper planning and practice prevent poor performance." Peterson goes over the importance of meeting with a prospective client to determine their needs. Doing so will provide clear goals and objectives, which can prevent surprises and lost profits. Peterson goes over the types of questions you should ask. He concludes by saying planning things realistically and following through on that plan will help avoid issues that lead to change orders. Patrick Hogg Disclaimer Water Well Journal and the National Ground Water Association provide information for guid- ance and information purposes only. This publi- cation is not intended to provide investment, tax, or legal advice. The information contained herein has been compiled from sources deemed reliable and it is accurate to the best of our knowledge and belief; however, Water Well Journal and the National Ground Water Association cannot guarantee as to its accuracy, completeness, and validity and cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. All information contained herein should be independently verified and confirmed. Water Well Journal and the National Ground Water Association do not accept any liability for any loss or damage howsoever caused in reliance upon such information. 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Subscriptions available through NGWA offices only. We re- serve the right to refuse subscriptions to any- one not directly engaged in the groundwater industry. Claims for missing issues must be made in writing within three months of publi- cation and will be subject to the availability of back issues. Advertising Disclaimer Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content (including text, repre- sentation, and illustrations) of advertisements printed and also assume responsibility for any claims arising therefrom made against the pub- lisher. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising that it believes is not in keeping with the publication's standards or is deemed unsuitable or misleading. Twitter @WaterWellJournl WWJ May 2016 7 Mike Price