Guest Editorial/

Twenty Years in the Water Well Industry:Where Are We?by Robert Sterrett1, Mike Mehmert2, and Thomas Hanna3

The water well industry today is arguably on amore public stage than 20 years ago since the publichas become more aware and better educated about is-sues related to the safety and quality of their watersupply. Moreover, dissemination of information hasaccelerated in the past 10 years with the use of theInternet and search engines that allow access to allsorts of data and documents related to water supplyand quality. For example, the National Ground WaterAssociation provides information intended for thegeneral public at http://ngwa.org/public/index.aspx.Water well professionals need to respond to this signifi-cant expansion in knowledge with up-to-date tools.

Certainly, the improvement and explosion in useof computers, microprocessors, and digital equipmenthave had the indirect benefit of improved understand-ing of the subsurface. For example, there are largenumbers of borehole geophysical tools that can now beused to assess subsurface conditions because they areavailable in reduced size. This is especially true forborehole televiewers, flow meters, and acoustic meas-urements. Data loggers, sensors, and field geochemicalanalytical equipment are available to provide real-timeinformation on water levels, climatological factors, andgeochemical parameters. These data can then be inputto a variety of software packages for the analysis ofaquifer parameters or geochemical conditions that as-sist in the design of the well.

The basics of the water well industry have notchanged significantly in the past 20 years, but the inte-gration of disciplines has advanced significantly. A case inpoint: In the past, there was little attention paid to the mi-crobiology of the well and aquifer, yet well blockage bymicroorganisms can drastically impact the performance

of the well. Now—with the assistance of microbiologistsworking with well designers, drilling fluids engineers, andwell development specialists—drilling and well installa-tion have taken on new perspectives. With a basic under-standing of the microbiology and geochemistry of theaquifer, the use of drilling fluids and well-developmentchemicals (e.g., polyphosphates, which are a food sourcefor bacteria) should minimize the introduction of materi-als that can act as potential food sources. Knowledge ofthe microbiology of the aquifer should also carry over tothe design of a well. The design should focus on minimiz-ing areas for growth of bacteria.

The real growth in knowledge within the waterwell industry will be centered on the interactions be-tween the various disciplines of water chemistry, mi-crobiology, metallurgy, and drilling technology thatwill lead to more efficient and longer-lasting wells.

Editor’s Note: We invited Dr. Sterrett to write a guesteditorial following a topical session on advances in thewater well industry, held at the 2007 NGWA GroundWater Expo. The impetus for the session was the pub-lication of the third edition of Groundwater and Wells(2007, Johnson Screens, Minneapolis, Minnesota, R.J.Sterrett, editor). The second edition (1986), largelyauthored by Fletcher Driscoll, became ‘‘the bible’’ forthe water well industry. Each chapter in the third edi-tion is written by an expert in the topic covered by thechapter; the emphasis of the third edition is on theborehole and well.

Opinions expressed in the editorial column arethose of the authors and do not necessarily reflectthose of the National Ground Water Association orthe staff of the journal.

1Corresponding author: Principal Hydrogeologist, HCItascaDenver, Inc., 143 Union Blvd., Suite 525, Lakewood, CO 80228;(303) 969-8033; fax: (303) 969-8357; bsterrett@hcico.com

2Johnson Screens, 28504 Meadow Dr., Evergreen, CO 80439.329506 Buckboard Ln., Evergreen, CO 80439.Copyright ª 2008 The Author(s)Journal compilationª 2008 National GroundWater Association.doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2008.00460.x

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