Water Well Journal

Well Owners Potentially at Risk of Arsenic Exposure Identified in New Study S ome 2.1 million Americans on domestic water wells may be at risk of harmful exposure to arsenic—based on a national-scale predictive model detailed in a new study by the U.S. Geo- logical Survey and the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health (http:// pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs. est.7b02881). The study shows areas potentially affected by arsenic levels greater than 10 parts per billion, which is the federally established Maximum Contaminant Level. The study's top 10 states for people at risk for harmful arsenic exposure based on the size of the at-risk popula- tion are: 1. Michigan, 192,747 2. Ohio, 189,191 3. Indiana, 150,858 4. North Carolina, 119,633 5. California, 115,823 6. Maine, 102,452 7. Texas, 95,455 8. Pennsylvania, 80,729 9. Minnesota, 80,353 10. Wisconsin, 72,670 Significantly, the study may shed new light on areas not known to have arsenic issues in the groundwater. The study abstract states: "Arsenic concentrations from 20,450 domestic wells in the U.S. were used to develop a logistic regression model of the proba- bility of having arsenic >10 micrograms per liter ("high arsenic") which is pre- sented at the county, state, and national scales. Variables representing geologic sources, geochemical, hydrologic, and physical features were among the signif- icant predictors of high arsenic." To view NGWA's Best Suggested Practice document, Reducing Prob- lematic Concentrations of Arsenic in Residential Water Well Systems, visit its Bookstore at www.NGWA.org/Bookstore. Bureau of Land Management Signs Off on California Pipeline Project F ollowing years of controversy around construction of a pipeline to pump groundwater, the Bureau of Land Man- agement granted permission to proceed to Cadiz Inc., a company planning to pump groundwater from desert holdings to communities in southern California. The project received approval by the State of California, but the federal gov- ernment had not given permission to use a right-of-way for its 43-mile pipeline. Opponents of the project argued excessive groundwater pumping would deplete the aquifer and harm the ecosys- tem, and the decision by the Bureau of Land Management will likely be chal- lenged in court. The project's construction could help provide reliable water resources to areas of southern California. However, if not managed sustainably, adverse impacts on the aquifer and ecosystem could result. Water Well Trust Completes 27 Water Well Projects in Georgia T he Water Well Trust, a national nonprofit helping Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply, has completed 27 water well projects in 16 Georgia counties, funded by a grant NEWS from page 12 waterwelljournal.com 14 December 2017 WWJ 2215 SOUTH VAN BUREN · ENID, OKLAHOMA, USA 73703 · PHONE 580.234.4141 · domsales@gefco.com · intsales@gefco.com · www.gefco.com GEFCO, INC. an Astec Industries Company Designed and manufactured in America, delivered to the world Bob Makosey has been employed with GEFCO for over 20 years. He was hired as an entry level laborer and over the years has advanced to a lead man of sub assembly. He currently is responsible for assembling topheads, PTO's, drawworks and hydraulic tanks just to name a few components. Bob has worked in other industries and for other companies. What excites him most about GEFCO is the variety of product offerings. As an assembler, he enjoys the constant change of products and pace. Bob is confident that the products we design and manufacture, here in the USA, are each created with the customer's safety and profitability in mind. Bob is a great representation of our company's core values, which includes continuous devotion to meeting the needs of our customers.

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