Sherwood Park, Alta. – Utility company Epco will add orthophosphate, a lead inhibitor, to drinking water at its two water treatment plants that serve the Edmonton region by the end of 2020. The move was a result of updated guidelines in March for lead content in drinking water by Health Canada. The Sherwood Park - Strathcona County News reports. | READ MORE

Calgary – For three years now, the City of Calgary and Alberta Health Services have issued warnings to those who want to dip, plunge or splash in the Elbow River, but the source of the fecal contamination remains a mystery. The City says the issue is likely a combination of factors, from leaky pipes to ground water. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Chennai, India – One of India’s largest cities, home to nearly five million people, is running out of water as the main reserve is drying up. Satellite surveys from June 2019 show Chennai’s main rain-fed reservoir is a fraction of what it was this time last year. The Independent reports. | READ MORE

A drilled well is a mainstay for many Canadians, with 30 per cent of residents, or nine million residents, within Canada obtaining their water from a ground water source. Approximately 15 per cent of this water is within rural areas and some parts of the country rely on ground water exclusively.

He has been called the “Al Gore of Water” – most notably when he was interviewed on Real Time with Bill Maher. One of his many op-eds in the Los Angeles Times inspired a James Corden monologue on The Late Late Show.

Treat the disease, not the symptoms. That’s what medical experts always tell us.

Ottawa – The number of long-term drinking water advisories affecting public systems on reserves has declined from 105 in November 2015, to 58 as of May 31, the federal government said as part of a monthly progress update on its commitment to end the advisories.

Albany, NY – Drinking water contaminants can be found in 176 waterways throughout the New York State, according to a new report released by the non-profit, non-partisan New York Public Interest Research Group. The Democrat & Chronicle reports. | READ MORE

Calgary – Activists are hoping to bring Calgary's Confederation Creek, which was diverted below ground, back into the daylight by having it officially recognized by the province. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Evart, MI – U.S. scientists are now measuring water levels near Evart, Mich., where Nestle plans to increase its ground water extraction for bottling under a controversial permit issued by Michigan regulators last year. MLive.com reports. | READ MORE

Dallas, TX – Drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic may lead to thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber in young adults, a structural change that increases the risk for future heart problems, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, an American Heart Association journal.

Water re-allocation projects are political but should be backed up by rigorous evidence in order to negotiate the trade-offs for cities and rural areas, suggests a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Challenging conditions are par for the course for water-well drillers. While one drilling company is restoring non-functioning and abandoned wells near Milan, Italy, with the help of diesel technology, another is using a new angled drilling technique to get water for desperate farmers in Quebec.

When Wellace Johnson incorporated Wellen Boring and Drilling Ltd. in 1975, he based his business on family, integrity and trust. Four decades later, these continue to be the founding principles of the company.

Texas – Operators active in reusing and recycling produced water for fracking in the Permian Basin of Texas offered their experiences and best practices at a conference, while emphasizing the need to protect water resources, writes The Midland Reporter. | READ MORE

A loan program in some municipalities of Nova Scotia provides qualified homeowners with help if their wells run dry.

This column is both hard and easy to write. Hard because I’m looking back on the career of Lewis Hopper, a champion of Canadian water well drilling who is no longer with us. Easy because I’m looking forward to a new generation of the industry – and they are an inspiring bunch.

By now, everyone in the industry probably knows this story, but just in case. In September 2015, in West Vancouver’s expensive, densely urban Kerrisdale neighbourhood, a homeowner contracted a homebuilder who contracted a drilling company to install a geothermal heating system.

Toronto – VersaDrill Canada has worked with Groupe Rouillier and RIDD to produce an Inner Tube Puller for mineral drilling that could potentially have applications for geotechnical, geothermal or core drilling.

You provide high-quality wells and servicing, but are you meeting your customers’ less tangible need for information and peace of mind? We spoke with a ground water educator, established drilling companies and a satisfied would-be customer to get insight into what constitutes great customer service.

Barbados – Barbados stands to gain significantly more foreign exchange from the sale of desalinated water being produced on the island, says the chairman of the company expanding a reverse osmosis plant on the island. The desalination facility is capable of supplying drinking water to about 20 per cent of the population, the Barbados Advocate reports. | READ MORE

West Chester, PA – The Schramm engineering group is upgrading its existing T450 rigs to use a CAT C15 ACERT, Tier 4 compliant engine.

Newport, WA – A third-generation water well driller discusses the ups and downs of the job as well as public perception about the business. The Spokesman-Review reports. | READ MORE

South Jordan, UT – The "Village Drill," a model envisioned by John Renouard and developed by Brigham Young University students, is human-powered and capable of drilling up to 295 feet into the ground – deep enough to reach clean, unpolluted ground water almost anywhere in the world. The Deseret News reports. | READ MORE

Vancouver – The biggest building in the province, Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., will get a new heating and cooling system that will include one of the largest geoexchange systems in the country. Richmond News reports. | READ MORE

Vancouver – The biggest building in the province, Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., will get a new heating and cooling system that will include one of the largest geoexchange systems in the country. Richmond News reports. | READ MORE

Vancouver – An Italian company and its two principals are facing four charges each for the breach of a massive aquifer on a residential construction site in Vancouver in September 2015. The breach has cost the city more than $10 million to fix. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

DEEP Earth Energy Production Corp. has begun drilling on the first well for its geothermal power facility, located in southeastern Saskatchewan.

Vancouver – GeoExchangeBC has shared with its members information provided by the B.C. government related to the Water Sustainability Act and regulations that are relevant to the geoexchange industry. GeoExchangeBC reports. | READ MORE

Newport, RI – A ground-source geothermal system has been installed at The Breakers, the former summer home of the Vanderbilt family in Newport, Rhode Island, in order to stabilize humidity and reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

Iran – In a new study of geothermal heat pumps published in The Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, systems using ammonia (R717) or n-butane (R600) were found to be more efficient than those employing R22 or R134, as well as more economical. Hydrocarbons21 reports. | READ MORE

Irving, TX – The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. has created two groups as part of its Building and Construction Division: the Polypropylene Pressure Pipe Steering Committee and the Geothermal Steering Committee.

Moncton, N.B. – The federal government will invest almost $51 million to help New Brunswickers make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes, businesses, and industrial operations.

Montreal – The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition and its members welcomed the news that New Brunswick Power has released a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives including for GeoExchange (a.k.a. geothermal heat pump) technology.

Peterborough, Ont. – Fleming College will install a new geothermal heating and cooling system at its Sutherland Campus to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions thanks to funding from the provincial government.

Montreal –­ The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition welcomed the news that the Quebec government will continue its RénoClimat incentive program through to 2021.

Recent Canadian and U.S. studies suggest that a maximum acceptable concentration for manganese in drinking water should be set to protect children from manganese neurotoxicity, according to the journal Environment International. The risk analysis is meant to guide decision-makers responsible for developing these standards. Science Direct reports. | READ MORE

Outreach efforts by J.B. Wilson and Son Well Drilling, the University of Windsor and Fleming College are giving post-secondary science students who may someday work as consultants a taste of what’s involved in drilling a water well and encouraging high school students to seriously consider a career in drilling.

Texas – University of Texas research on managed aquifer storage suggests coastal aquifers have enough space to store two-thirds of the water from high-flow events from 10 Texas rivers, reducing the impacts of both floods and droughts – if scientists can figure out a way to get the excess water into them. Ensia reports. | READ MORE

Guelph, Ont. – University of Guelph researchers will receive almost $11 million from the federal government and local government and industry partners for ground water studies focused on Wellington County in Ontario.

Vancouver – Geoscience BC has launched a new project to assess the potential amplification of ground movement associated with earthquakes generated by hydraulic fracturing and fluid injection in an area around Fort St. John and Dawson Creek in northeast British Columbia.

Sydney, Australia – Ground water exploration can be achieved at much lower cost and with less invasive procedures thanks to a new passive technique using existing Earth and atmospheric tidal data being championed by engineers in Australia. Phys.org reports. | READ MORE

In my 20 years of experience in the field of water quality, I have heard many perceptions expressed by people regarding the water at their home or cottage. Some of these beliefs are inaccurate.

Vancouver – The Networks of Centres of Excellence will provide $1.6 million over four years to a UBC-led clean water research program as part of $92 million in new funding to help researchers solve current issues and transfer knowledge to practice for end-users.

Watson Lake, Yukon – An atmospheric water generator created by a Calgary company is being used by the Liard First Nation in Yukon to gather moisture from the air like a dehumidifier, then purify it for drinking by using UV light. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Memphis, TN – A Lowe’s store is about to sell 300 plastic buckets to the University of Memphis that are part of a much broader effort by the university to map breaches in the aquifers that hold Memphis' ground water. The Daily Memphian reports. | READ MORE

Natural Resources Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Water Resources Association, will present a webinar on the Federal Airborne LiDAR Data Acquisition Guideline Version 2.0. 

Few people in Canada have thought more deeply about ground water than Dr. Alfonso Rivera, the Chief Hydrogeologist of the Geological Survey of Canada. Dr. Rivera shared with us his thoughts on the past, present and future of ground water.

When Mercedes-Benz entered the Canadian market with the second-generation Sprinter in 2010 (it was sold as a Dodge previously in Canada), the full-size cargo van market in Canada was vastly different than it is today. Ford was selling the E-Series, Nissan had not yet launched the NV in Canada, and the Ram ProMaster was being sold in Europe as the Fiat Ducato.

Biotope-Air is a completely synthetic, biodegradable compressor oil designed for high-performance applications on rotary, screw and piston compressors.

The NivuLevel Mobile is a self-sufficient system that provides power management for reliable level measurements, data logging and convenient data transmission, manufacturer Nivus said in a press release.

Flomatic announces it is in full compliance with the American Iron & Steel (AIS) provisions for affected Federal/State Revolving Fund projects on its Automatic Control Valve product family.

Flomatic has released the Flo-Trol Model CD900, a new constant flow control valve with a stainless steel body.

Flomatic Corporation’s new constant pressure pump control valve, Cycle Gard model C153SS, has an added pressure setting of 70 pounds per square inch (PSI).

The Monitor high-efficiency pitless spool is new from Bakers Hughes Water Systems. Each design integrates the manufacturer’s patented Monitor Flow Divider (U.S. Patent No. 8.960.275).

Yonkers, NY – Consumers Report experts weigh in on the pros and cons of tankless water heaters and storage tank water heaters, based on test results and payback time. | READ MORE

Heron Instruments has launched the dipperLog SMART, an independent, wireless, real-time data transfer system that allows for collating, viewing and recording remote data from water wells on any computer, tablet or smartphone from anywhere.

Every region of Canada has unique geographic features that set them apart from the rest.  However, while that description also applies to our newest province – Newfoundland – when you are there, there is also a vaguely perceptible “other world” sense about the place. 

Drilltracker was demonstrating what its business management software could do for drilling companies at Groundwater Week. The Australia-based developer has designed a program to help drilling businesses give their clients high-quality reports quickly, easily and directly from the drilling site.

Flomatic Corporation introduces their new Model 508S6 Ball Check Valve; a simple, yet reliable 316 stainless steel check valve.

Red Williams Drilling Ltd. provides a range of services, including well drilling, water treatment, water delivery, and pump service, and covers an area of central Vancouver Island that stretches about 300 kilometres from the home base in Parksville.

Toronto – Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks has released an updated guide for municipal councillors to help them understand their responsibilities under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 and provide them with information on how Ontario’s drinking water is safeguarded.

A customer's complaint may not be your fault, but it is an opportunity for your business to shine, writes customer service expert Shep Hyken.

Chilliwack, B.C. – Ninety-four per cent of Canadians currently employed say that workplace health, safety and mental well-being is important when choosing a job, according to an Angus Reid poll commissioned by the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC. 

The Ontario Ground Water Association held its convention and annual general meeting in London, Ont., in March, electing as its new president Matt Wilson.

What does professionalism mean to you?

Langley, B.C. – Highlights of the British Columbia Ground Water Association’s annual convention included a two-day drillers course, a talk by McEllhiney Distinguished Lecturer Gary Hix on adapting to changing markets and a panel on flowing artesian wells.

Ann Arbor, MI – The American National Standards for health effects of drinking water treatment chemicals (NSF/ANSI 60) and plumbing system components (NSF/ANSI 61) have been updated for the Canadian market and published as National Standards of Canada.

Customer service expert Shep Hyken explains why it's important for workplace leaders to set a good example for those they lead.

It’s hard not to feel good about the future of the ground water industry after talking with 10 young people who work hard and love what they do.

It’s hard not to feel good about the future of the ground water industry after talking with 10 young people who work hard and love what they do.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently hosted a free webinar on how small businesses can pay bills and get paid more efficiently. The emphasis was on how Interac e-Transfers work and their benefits for businesses.