By Thad Plumley
I have put a significant emphasis on the columns of Water Well Journal since I was named the editor of the publication late in 2004.
The columns in those early days were largely by industry professionals writing on the daily challenges of drilling wells and installing pump systems.
When I came on board, I set about immediately adding columns on water disinfection, safety, human resources, and sales skills. My vision was to make the family water well business owner a more well-rounded groundwater professional with columns providing critical information on topics you can’t learn from a father at the jobsite.
We’ve been adding new columns regularly once again the last couple of years, but the approach has been quite the opposite of when I started—the focus has been 100 percent on what is happening behind the rig.
We have added in recent years two columns by former The Groundwater Foundation McEllhiney Lecturers in Marvin F. Glotfelty, RG, and Ron Peterson.
Glotfelty, the 2012 lecturer, is the author of The Art of Water Wells. If you missed his column in the February issue titled “The Devil’s in the Details,” I encourage you to look it up right away and definitely read it before you design your next well system.
Peterson, the 2015 lecturer, authors Plan for Success that covers a variety of drilling and pump topics. You can check out his latest column titled “Water Well Pump Basics.” Tying in the March issue’s theme of pumps, he covers the importance of doing research before selecting a pump for a particular job.
Clear as Mud by Jeff Blinn began in 2021 and provides important details on drilling fluids, while Groundwater & Wells by Thom Hanna, PG, started last year and covers a variety of topics from the best-selling book in the groundwater industry.
And we’re not done. This issue features the debut of All Things Hammers and Bits by LaTisha Shipman, a new quarterly column that I think you can figure out what it will be tackling. The first installment titled “Show Your Hammer Some Love,” which highlights the importance of proper oiling and how doing so enables your hammers to last longer.
Even if I didn’t mention it, I think the theme is easy to spot with the recent additions—two McEllhiney lecturers, Groundwater & Wells, drilling fluids, and hammers and bits.
Yep, I have certainly focused on matters related to the art of drilling water wells.
I think doing so was necessary to complement our consistent pump and business coverage in our columns authored by leading experts and business professionals.
I hope you are regularly reading the newest additions in WWJ. If you do, I think you will be a well-rounded groundwater professional.
And helping you become that has been my goal since my first day on the job.
Thad Plumley is the editor of WWJ and the director of publications for the National Ground Water Association. He is currently the secretary for the AM&P Network Associations Council Advisory Board. The AM&P Network is a national association for publishing professionals.. He can be reached at tplumley@ngwa.org, or (800) 551-7379, ext. 1594.