GWC - Summer 2020 by annexbusinessmedia

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Serving the Canadian Ground Water industry for 46 years.

Down-hole camera footage reveals water-well secrets

Members of the industry share how they are adapting to the realities of a COVID-19 world

Find out what’s happening in the Ontario Ground Water Association

A practical approach to analyzing the results of well yield testing data

Ground water expert John Cherry talks contaminants, water security and The Groundwater Project

ON THE WEB:

Business development in the time of COVID

NEW USASK FILTER MAY LEAD TO SAFER DRINKING WATER

A University of Saskatchewan chemical engineering graduate student is developing a new environmentally friendly bio-filter that can remove arsenic from water and could help make drinking water safer across Canada and worldwide. The University of Saskatchewan reports.

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS URGE P.E.I. TO BAN HOLDING PONDS

Two P.E.I. environmental groups are calling for an interim ban on the development of irrigation holding ponds until the practice becomes regulated under P.E.I.’s Water Act. CBC News reports.

www.groundwatercanada.com

Time to speak up

Make sure ground water and your role in accessing it are part of this important conversation.

by Colleen Cross

Do you sometimes feel left out of important conversations when you have knowledge, training, experience or strong instincts that could help solve a problem?

If so, you should know that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to hear from you.

Late last year the Prime Minister vowed to create a Canada Water Agency and in May the government began asking for input from Canadians on what it should look like.

They are using is a site called PlaceSpeak that allows all Canadians to sign in and comment on five questions to help shape its role and activities. It’s a refreshingly democratic process. Once inside the website module, you’ll find an evergrowing number of thoughtful opinions from scientists, drillers, government people and general public worried about specific environmental issues. Spend as little as half an hour reading these comments and you’ll get a decent sampling of the water issues we face:

Let’s take the government at its word that it intends to listen to all water stakeholders and show the leadership Canada deserves.

First Nations’ lack of access to clean drinking water, the need for water conservation, private for-profit management of civic water, forestry industry debris blowing into lakes and decomposing and creating algae, contamination through tailing ponds from mining and lead pipes, fish farms too close to rivers and lakes, questions of water use, maintaining water reservoirs, flooding and storm water management, pollution from waste water and agriculture, drainage changes hydrology and overland flow, lack of monitoring, watershed protection.

Commenters are highlighting the problems they think are most pressing in a long list.

Many agree on issues of concern but have different ideas about the role the Canada Water Agency should play. Should it be a way to collect and monitor information? Should it connect all forms of government? Should it be a watchdog?

John Kim posted a comment that sums up some of the comments: “Large project development oversight, education and awareness for the general public, training standards for provincial and municipal regulators, environmental protection, marine life preservation and protection.”

Several commenters suggest the government use models already in place: the Prairie Provinces Water Board, a partnership that focuses on transboundary water issues; Prince Edward Island’s Water Act consultation process; and the Netherlands Water Partnership, “a relatively disinterested third party” of 50 members set up to help resolve disputes.

The discussion is hopeful, skeptical and, yes, sometimes cynical. These are people that, like you, are concerned about water and don’t mince words. The website is easy to use but permanent enough to make commenters choose their words carefully.

It’s the process that matters. Let’s take the government at its word that it intends to listen to all water stakeholders and show the leadership Canada deserves. Visit https://www.placespeak. com/en/topic/6321-protecting-canadas-freshwater/#/ to get your thoughts on public record. Make sure ground water and your role in accessing it are part of this important conversation.

The Canadian National Ground Water Association also is determining the shape it will take. It is considering comments made in the Ground Water Professionals Survey. The survey remains open at groundwatercanada.com – still time to have your say.

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NEXT ISSUE: The next issue of Ground Water Canada will focus on pumps and related technology. Also included is our 2021 pull-out calendar. Watch for it!

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ATLANTIC FIRST NATIONS WATER AUTHORITY AND CANADA SIGN AGREEMENT TO TRANSFER RESPONSIBILITY FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES

The Ministry of Indigenous Services and the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority have signed a framework agreement that creates a path for the transfer of water and wastewater services for 15 First Nations communities in Atlantic Canada from Indigenous Services Canada to the AFNWA.

In a news release, the federal government recognized Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and is committed to supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to independently deliver services and address the unique needs of their communities.

The framework agreement outlines the negotiation process and the roles and responsibilities for all parties to transfer responsibility over the control and management of water and wastewater services. This agreement advances a new First Nations-led service delivery model and represents a step towards self-determination and greater control for First Nations over service delivery in their communities.

The framework agreement represents a key milestone for this innovative initiative as the AFNWA continues to work towards full autonomous operations by spring 2022.

Once the transfer is complete, the AFNWA will assume responsibility and liability for water and wastewater services to over 4,500 households and businesses on reserves, which represents approximately 60 per cent of First Nations that live on reserves in Atlantic Canada.

GOVERNMENT INVITES INPUT ON THE CREATION OF CANADA WATER AGENCY

The Government of Canada is creating a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean and well managed.

Environment and Climate Change Canada, with support from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, is leading this exercise on behalf of the federal government and will be working with other federal departments and agencies over the coming months to explore current and projected future freshwater management challenges. The agency will work with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and others, through a variety of mechanisms, including the use of a site called PlaceSpeak.

The mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, dated Dec. 13, 2019, directs Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson to: “With the support of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean and well-managed.”

Visit the PlaceSpeak platform at https://www. placespeak.com/en/topic/6321-protecting-canadasfresh-water/#/ to share your thoughts and ideas about current and future freshwater management challenges in Canada and the role a new Canada Water Agency could play in protecting our water.

ONTARIO GROUND WATER ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZES DRILLING STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS

The recipients of the Ontario Ground Water Association scholarship awards for graduates of Fleming College’s resources drilling and blasting program were recently announced.

Christian Jaeger received the Ontario Ground Water Association Award.

Zachary Weatherall received the Archie Watt Award. The award was established by the OGWA in 2002 in recognition of Archie Watt, who wrote the Well Water Act in 1947.

Logan Irven received the Ralph Snider Memorial Award. The award is presented to the most improved Resources Drilling and Blasting Technician student who has demonstrated general all-round proficiency and enthusiasm in the program.

“I am extremely grateful to have been chosen to receive the Ralph Snider Memorial Award,” Irven said. “College was hard work. I didn’t realize how much harder than high school it would be. It is really nice that someone understands how we have to persevere and try harder and dig deeper in order to get through some things in life.”

The Class of 2020 graduation was celebrated virtually this year at Fleming College’s 53rd Convocation Ceremonies.

“It is important to recognize the academic achievements, year to year, of deserving students and welcome them into the ground water community,” said Paul Conrad of the association’s board of directors.

The Ontario Ground Water Association raises funds for the Fleming scholarships at its annual golf tournament and auction.

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ONTARIO SEEKING INPUT ON WATER QUANTITY MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

The Ontario government is seeking public input on its water quantity management proposal, which aims to protect the long-term sustainability of surface water and ground water and ensure they are responsibly managed and safeguarded

The consultation follows up on the province’s Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. The proposal would also give municipalities a greater say in allowing companies to withdraw ground water in their communities for bottled water, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said in a news release.

The review of water resources in Ontario, which is supported by independent experts, found that the government’s current approach to managing water takings is effective. The review also identified opportunities to build on our current framework to ensure that we can manage water takings sustainably in situations when water supplies may be limited.

“Based on initial input from our stakeholders and Indigenous communities, we have put forward proposed enhancements to our water taking rules that will create a more flexible and robust program,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, in the release.

The proposed changes include:

• requiring water bottling companies to have the support of their host municipalities for new and increasing bottled water takings, with an exemption for small businesses

• establishing priorities of water use in the province that can guide water-taking decisions

• assessing and managing multiple water takings together in areas of the province where water sustainability is a concern

• making water-taking data available to the public to increase transparency of how Ontario manages water resources

The provincial government encourages the public to provide their feedback on the water quantity management proposal, which is open for public comment on the Environmental Registry until Aug. 2, 2020. These comments will help inform the updates to further protect water resources in Ontario.

Details of the proposal can be found at the Environmental Registry of Ontario website.

PRIVATE WELL WATER INCREASES RISK OF LEAD EXPOSURE IN KIDS, STUDY FINDS

Children in homes relying on private well water are 25 per cent more likely to have elevated blood lead levels than children in homes served by community water, according to a new study by Indiana University researchers.

The study, published July 6 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first that specifically looks at lead exposure in children who rely on private wells.

“Recent crises like the one in Flint, Michigan, have put a spotlight on lead in city drinking water,” said Jackie MacDonald Gibson, author of the study and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. “But children getting their water from private wells have been overlooked as a population at risk of lead exposure from their drinking water.”

Gibson said that households with private wells must be stewards of their own water quality, monitoring for lead on their own and, when necessary, installing and managing their own corrosion-control systems or replacing lead-containing well components and plumbing. But she said that is seldom done because of a lack of knowledge about how to test water properly, the cost of testing and the potential cost of fixing problems that may arise.

The study found that blood lead concentrations and risks of elevated blood lead were higher among children in older or lower-valued homes, in areas with a higher percentage of non-Hispanic Black residents, and in neighbourhoods excluded from nearby municipal services.

GROUNDWATER WEEK 2020 TO BE HYBRID ON-SITE/VIRTUAL EVENT

Groundwater Week 2020 in Las Vegas in December is currently proceeding as planned, with social distancing measures and virtual event options for those who are unable to attend in person.

“We continue to monitor travel restrictions, contractual obligations, and government mandates,” the National Ground Water Association says on its website.

“We will continue to send news, programming information, and exciting, new virtual options.”

Registration is currently open and participants can save on registration by doing so on or before Nov. 6 at https://groundwaterweek.com/register/

DOWN-HOLE DATA

Down-hole camera footage reveals water-well secrets

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources’ Aquifer Mapping Program has been collecting down-hole camera footage of the insides of water wells across the state. The footage will fill in information about the wells’ internal structures and can help interpret aquifer level changes.

by KRISTIN PEARTHREE

The statewide Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network tracks water levels in participating wells, particularly targeting rural and under-monitored areas. A selection of these data collected by the state network is shared to the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Groundwater Monitoring Network.

Ground water level data are used to monitor how much water is in a well, which represents conditions in the local or regional aquifer. These data can be used to track water level trends over time, make water use decisions, protect and manage a well’s associated water source, and identify faulty

equipment and leaks.

“For a well to be included in the USGS National Groundwater Monitoring Network, certain details must be known,” says Bureau Aquifer Mapping Program Manager Laila Sturgis. “This includes the total depth of the well, the depths of the screened intervals and the casing material. With some older wells this information has been lost over time or needs to be updated due to well repairs.”

This is where the new well camera footage comes in. The Bureau has been using specialized well cameras to inspect several wells this year and describe their internal structures.

RIGHT: From left: Bureau hydrogeology technicians

Scott Christenson, Kitty Pokorny and Trevor Kludt monitor the camera feed from a well.

THE BUREAU’S ACTIVE PROJECTS

Regional

• Salt Basin, regional hydrology study

• Mimbres Basin, regional hydrology study

• Plains of San Agustin, regional hydrology study

• Animas River, Gold King mine spill monitoring

• Snowy River, Ft. Stanton cave hydrology

• Rio Rancho, ground water data compilation and geologic mapping

• Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration

• La Cienega, regional hydrology

Statewide

• Water Data Act

• Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network

• 3D Aquifer Mapping and Visualizations

• USGS National Groundwater Monitoring Program

Recently, Bureau technicians surveyed one of the deepest wells in the network using a camera that is capable of reaching a depth of 1,000 feet. The camera housing and cables are quite robust for these deeper wells, so a smaller-diameter camera will be used to view shallower wells.

The camera footage also supports interpretation of water level changes within wells. Wells can penetrate more than one aquifer. The camera footage can provide information to help hydrogeologists interpret which aquifer the well is screened over and,

Identifying which aquifer is the source of water is crucial for tying changes in water level to changes in pumping, land use, precipitation or recharge.

therefore, which aquifer is the source of water. Identifying which aquifer is the source of water is crucial for tying changes in water level to changes in pumping, land use, precipitation or recharge.

The Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network is funded by the Aquifer Mapping Program and by the Healy Foundation. As part of the USGS National Groundwater Monitoring Network, through a co-operative agreement, funding has been provided to share data and collect well camera footage.

Kristin Pearthree is a Research Scientist with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources at the New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology in Socorro, N.M.

For more on water-well monitoring and down-hole camera technology, visit groundwatercanada.com

Bureau geohydrological lab associate Trevor Kludt watches as the camera is lowered into a well.

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STAY SAFE, STAY IN BUSINESS

Adapting to the realities of a COVID-19 world

Bill Kyte, co-owner with his son Thomas of Bill Kyte

Well Drilling, is proud of how his province has managed the COVID-19 crisis.

“In New Brunswick, our premier and the COVID-19 team led by Dr. Jennifer Russell – that’s our chief medical officer – did a great job of leading us through this pandemic, and, for the most part, the people have bought into it,” he says. “We are quite pleased and proud of that so hopefully we will continue.”

Kyte has especially good reasons for remaining diligent: he and his wife are in the high-risk age group. The two workers Kyte and his son have on staff also have family in high-risk groups.

“We are doing everything we are supposed to,” Kyte says. “The social distancing is the big thing and, of course, when we are on the job site that is pretty hard to do. But we try to follow all the regulations and guidelines. We sanitize the vehicles every day and keep washing our hands.”

Kyte says business was quiet at the beginning, but it is quiet at that time of year anyway, with roads closed for spring breakup. Business has picked up since.

“We are fairly busy and it’s hard to put a handle on things, because I thought things would grind to a standstill with everybody’s financial situations, but so far, we are still getting calls, and we’ve been going fairly well,” he says, noting that with reduced open hours and lineups at places like garages, parts suppliers and banks, day-to-day errands take longer.

But they are getting the hang of it.

BUSINESS AS USUAL . . . SORT OF

Kim Friesen, co-owner of Friesen Drillers Ltd., which is based in Steinbach, Man., and also owns Andrews and Sons Drilling in Regina, says they’ve continued to operate throughout the crisis.

“There has been a slight decrease in demand, but it’s directly related to the shutdown order as prime contractors and engineers are not able to be on some job sites as required,” Friesen says.

Aardvark Drilling Inc., based out of Guelph, has also continued to operate throughout the pandemic.

“Some individual projects were not construed as essential, but the majority of our work continued,” says Gregory J. Zehr, Aardvark’s health and safety manager. “Some clients were slower to pay invoices, and we can only infer that this is due to hesitance to part with money while uncertain about their own economic outlook.”

Similarly, Matt Wilson, vice-president of J.B. Wilson and Son Drilling Ltd. in Springfield, Ont., says business volume has remained about the same.

“A higher percentage of calls from our residential customers seem to be more focused on an immediate issue, while our commercial, industrial, and farm customers seem to be about the same frequency and importance level,” Wilson says.

In British Columbia, Dave Mercer, general manager of the B.C. Ground

by CAROLYN CAMILLERI

Water Association, says, based on what he has heard, most members haven’t seen a huge drop in business.

“I think there was a lot of worry at the outset about people’s livelihoods, and the general feedback I have heard is that people have remained busy. I haven’t heard of anyone going out of business – it doesn’t mean that no one has, but I haven’t heard it,” he says.

“Our members are consultants, drillers, pump installers, and all of their work has been established as essential, and so then it is figuring out how that work can be done while meeting requirements of the ministry of health and the federal government,” Mercer says. “Some work, like drilling related to certain construction projects, isn’t deemed essential so that work has been delayed.”

But while work volume has remained more or less stable for everyone interviewed, much has changed since the outset of the crisis.

“People have been told to stay home, stay in your region, so driving off to a project across the province just isn’t acceptable. They have been passing that work on to more local operations, primarily in the case of pump installers,” Mercer says.

Though restrictions continue to lift across the country, the threat of virus hot spots and a second wave mean some change may be permanent.

Though restrictions continue to lift across the country, the threat of virus hot spots and a second wave mean some change may be permanent.

ESTABLISHING NEW RULES

While getting safety supplies – PPE and cleaning materials – was difficult for some early in the crisis, all the businesses interviewed here have new safety measures in place.

“We have added more procedures out on the jobs for the safety and protection of our crews when out in the public,” Friesen says. “We have toolbox meetings in the mornings when there are any updates in the regulations to ensure all our employees are notified.”

Aardvark uses an app to complete hazard assessments and site inspections and to record incidents; the app also has a resources section for posting policies and procedures.

“We have developed procedures for operating during the pandemic, based on sanitization and disinfection of vehicles and workplaces, with specific attention to high-touch areas,” Zehr says, listing measures such as staying home when sick, using Health Canada’s Self-Assessment Tool, hand washing, coughing etiquette, social distancing and wearing additional PPE.

The app allows them to communicate to the workforce effectively from a distance, while tracking exactly who has reviewed the materials.

“With no possibility of a companywide meeting, this has been heavily

relied upon for communication,” Zehr says. “We also have a hard-copy tip sheet covering COVID-19 safe work practices for each job file.”

Numerous health and safety protocols have been implemented at J.B. Wilson and Son Drilling to keep staff and

‘We will get through this, and companies that adapt to the new normal more quickly will have a better chance of gaining more business in a post-COVID world.’ –Matt Wilson, J.B. Wilson and Son Drilling.

customers safe. Wilson lists examples: “We check every employee’s temperature each morning. Our field staff don’t enter the office to keep our office staff separate, and office and field staff use separate washroom facilities. More

frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces. We have a questionnaire for customers (about their health status, travel history, etc.) before entering their property on jobs. We wear masks on service calls and while in close contact with customers, suppliers and others. Where appropriate, we ask customers to turn on the lights, open the doors and stay away from us while we work.”

But as tidy as it sounds, the new measures have an impact on day-to-day work.

“It does take longer to do the same amount of work with the new health and safety protocols included,” Wilson says. They also add another layer of challenges to physical work.

“It is certainly difficult, especially with drilling, to maintain appropriate social distancing when pulling pipe out of the ground,” Mercer says. “Sometimes you need one guy with the wrench on the pipe and the other guy grabbing the pipe as it comes free, so they have really had to look at their procedures to do their best to maintain social distancing.”

KEEPING COMMUNICATION OPEN AND CORRECT

While the new protocols can be challenging, perhaps the biggest challenge is choosing what to pay attention to. Zehr says a main obstacle

for them was “filtering out information that was not credible, akin to background noise.”

“It seems counterintuitive at first, but we have based our safety measures on very few resources, namely Health Canada and local public health units in the areas we operate,” Zehr says. “There is a general tendency towards taking in information from everywhere and anywhere during any period of uncertainty, but we feel that information quality wins out.”

Curating information and avoiding overwhelming people with information was key for BCGWA in communicating with membership.

“Everyone was getting so many COVID-19 emails every day – from their corner grocery store and on and on – so we didn’t want to be another pain in people’s inboxes,” Mercer says. “People were already at a higher level of anxiety and were getting overloaded.”

BCGWA dedicated a website page to COVID-19 information with up-to-date guidelines from federal and provincial health agencies and WorkSafe BC, as well as other appropriate sources.

“The British Columbia Construction Association has great daily updates, because they’re very specific to people who work in the field and work with heavy equipment and that really applies to our pump installers and drillers,” Mercer says. “The Association of Engineers and Geoscientists has recommendations for professionals, and they have very regular updates for people who are more deskand less field-oriented.”

The Ontario Ground Water Association was also noted for staying on top of information and was a main source for Wilson.

“The OGWA sends us pertinent information and links to other resources, mostly from the government and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business,” Wilson says, adding that membership with the CFIB is free with paid membership in the OGWA.

Kyte found it challenging to determine industry-appropriate best practices and turned to his provincial health authority.

“Between the federal government doing their daily updates and the provincial, it keeps you pretty well informed,” he says.

Friesen, too, looks to the federal and provincial governments, as well as the

World Health Organization and CFIB, for guidance. “Different provinces have different procedures, and we follow what the provincial guidelines request and make sure that the different provincial companies are abiding by those standards.”

GOING FORWARD

Friesen says feedback from staff has been positive. “They feel comfortable on the job sites as we are making sure that we are providing them with all the right information and tools – hand sanitizer,

Lysol wipes, soap and water, face masks, etc. – so that they can stay working and stay safe while doing so.”

She offers a tip for other businesses: “Make sure you always keep your employees informed of all and any changes that the provinces set out. The more you keep them informed, the more comfortable they feel to continue working.”

Zehr says the vast majority of their staff see the efforts made to keep them safe and, as a result, have a positive outlook.

“Our workers want to continue to work and make money but only under working conditions that allow them to remain safe,” he says. “Having low risk tolerance and high standards when it comes to safety is an attitude we have promoted and cultivated over the years. We strive to provide our workforce with the knowledge, resources and materials to do their work safely at all times. We have support in place for workers who need to talk to someone, but ultimately, if a staff member has reservations about working in the current environment, we respect that.”

Zehr points to the importance of using credible sources, planning ahead, trying to anticipate needs and listening to concerns.

“When concerns are raised, do something about it,” he says.“It’s retrospective advice to be sure, but we’ve successfully procured the materials needed to keep going and have been managing well.”

Staff at J.B. Wilson and Son Drilling understand the necessity and are working well with the new guidelines. “Several things we have implemented have been suggested by staff,” Wilson says.

And be sure to keep your customers informed. “It is important to let customers know we are open and taking public health recommendations seriously and ask for co-operation with our health and safety protocols,” Wilson says.

BCGWA sent out a helpful tool to their members: a flyer to give to customers who have water wells to reassure them that ground water is safe. The information is based on an NGWA report that said chances of contracting COVID19 from ground water are minuscule. It also encourages customers to have their wells inspected and maintained to keep the well and the people healthy.

“There is a space at the bottom so the member can put their own name and contact information,” Mercer says. “So it’s an informative flyer but it can also be promotion so they can remind their customers that they are there as we start to open up again.”

At the time of writing, numbers of new COVID-19 cases in Canada have decreased considerably, but we are not out of the woods.

“I suspect that continuing with the

health and safety protocols will get more difficult as the summer weather hits –wearing masks when it is hot, humid and sweaty – and when ‘COVID fatigue’ causes people to become less vigilant as time wears on,” Wilson says.

While we don’t know what’s next, sticking with new protocols seems well advised.

“We will get through this, and companies that adapt to the new normal more quickly will have a better chance of gaining more business in a post-COVID world,” Wilson says.

As Kyte says, we have to play the cards we are dealt with. “As long as we don’t get carried away with the relaxation of some of the rules, we will be able to withstand the second wave if it does arrive,” he says. “Then we will find out what the new normal really is.”

Carolyn Camilleri is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and content strategist. She has been writing for consumer and trade magazines, as well as businesses and organizations, for more than 15 years.

MOVING FORWARD IN THE NEW NORMAL

Hello, everyone.

I hope that since my last message, we have all been able to stay healthy and safe. I’m sure that by this point we have all learned to use a lot of new phrases (flatten the curve, social distancing, what day is it?) and have probably gotten used to wearing a mask. By now everyone should be getting the hang of this “new normal.” Hopefully everyone has been able to make the necessary changes to work protocols to keep everyone safe while still being able to get things done.

know. They have also been facilitating your receipt of the resources available from our partners at the CFIB. Be sure to use these resources to keep up to date on government programs, employment and EI issues, and other available supports. Once again, the benefits of the free CFIB membership that comes with your paid OGWA membership should be quite evident. Keep checking your weekly e-mail blast for the most up-to-date information.

The OGWA board and staff have made numerous adjustments over the past few months and have continued their work to keep the association moving forward. We have been able to react quickly to the frequent changes and new challenges that COVID has presented, all the while maintaining the behindthe-scenes functions of the organiza-

“The harder we work to keep our staff, customers, suppliers, families and ourselves safe, the more likely we are to avoid COVID-19 and keep our businesses running successfully.”

As always, please continue following all of the Health Canada guidelines for physical distancing, hand washing, the size of your “bubble,” and avoiding unnecessary contacts. The harder we work to keep our staff, customers, suppliers, families and ourselves safe, the more likely we are to avoid COVID-19 and keep our businesses running successfully. With most areas of the province now in Phase 2 of the reopening plan (at the time of writing), it will be even more important to remain vigilant and do our part to avoid or at least reduce the size of a second wave.

I’m sure that all of you have seen the great resources that have been sent over the past several weeks from the OGWA office. The executive director and the office staff have been working hard (socially distanced and virtually!) to keep us very well informed of what we need to

tion. The board of directors has been meeting monthly, initially via teleconference and now through video meetings. Like most, we are getting better at using the available technology, which will probably be one of the many things that will become another part of our new normal.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, issues or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me or the OGWA staff. We are here to help. Be healthy. Be safe. Be well.

MATT WILSON, President

INSIDE THE ISSUE

Executive Director’s Report

Have your say!

Water quantity proposal

Updating Ontario’s Water Quantity Management Framework

Canada Water Agency

The government wants your input!

OGWA student membership application

Time for students to apply or renew!

Summer safety

Our partner, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, has many resources to help you

CFIB benefits

Our partner, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, has many benefits and resources to help you

PUBLISHED FOR THE ONTARIO GROUND

WATER ASSOCIATION

750 Talbot St., St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2

Phone: 519-245-7194 Fax: 519-245-7196

Email: ogwa@ogwa.ca

ADVERTISING: Jennifer Hudson

Administrative Assistant

Phone: 519-245-7194, ext.101 Fax: 519-245-7196

Email: admin@ogwa.ca

EDITOR: K.C. Craig Stainton, Executive Director

Phone: 519-245-7194, ext. 103 Cell: 519-282-0063

Email: executivedirector@ogwa.ca

EXECUTIVE

MATT WILSON President

DWAYNE GRAFF 1st Vice-President

KYLE SMITH 2nd Vice-President

STEPHEN BLEIZEFFER Treasurer/ Secretary

BRYAN WATSON Past President

DIRECTORS

BILL BEATON

Lotowater Technical Services Inc. 519-442-2086 Fax: 519-442-7242

STEPHEN BLEIZEFFER

Lackner McLennan Insurance Ltd. 519-579-3330 Fax: 519-579-1151

PAUL CONRAD

Conrad Well Drilling Ltd.

705-378-9578

DWAYNE GRAFF

Well Initiatives Ltd. 519-846-8289 Fax: 519-846-8281

BRUCE HIETKAMP

GeoKamp Limited 905-825-8007 Fax: 905-825-9006

DON HSU

Morrison Environmental Limited 905-564-8944 Fax: 905-564-8952

TROY HUGHSON Ontario Water Well Fracturing 705-641-0198

ROBERT MARTINI

Canadian Pipe & Pump Supply Ltd. 416-244-6476 Fax: 416- 241-2022

JEFFERY MCCRACKEN Franklin Electric 647-641-2178

KYLE SMITH

Aardvark Drilling Inc. 519-826-9340 Fax: 519-826-9108

BRYAN WATSON

Hart & Sons Well Drilling Ltd. 705-887-3331 Fax 705-887-4788

MATTHEW D. WILSON

J.B. Wilson & Son Well Drilling Ltd. 519-639-9988 Fax: 519-269-3552

HAVE YOUR SAY!

In these times of COVID-19, if nothing else, we have surely learned that we cannot let our guard down.

Vigilance is necessary to maintaining our physical health and well-being. We must know what is going on around us.

Recent announcements have shown that truth also is becoming evident within our industry. For years we have been searching for the just recognition of the importance of ground water in our world and the recognition due to you who provide H20 (the essence of life) to the (mostly) rural public.

The chance for recognition is happening, almost covertly while our focus is on the pandemic. Almost under our collective noses, there are calls for input from you, the ground water industry. Please do not miss your chance to get your point of view across.

The Ground Water Canada, OGWA, CNGWA sponsored “Ground Water Professionals Survey” is the opportunity for you to tell us what you think of the state of the industry and what you need from the three agencies to help complete our mission to help you. If you have not done so, I urge you to complete this survey whether you are an employer or an employee in this industry. The survey has been widely circulated electronically by Ground Water Canada and a link can be found on the magazine’s website. For those of you who have challenges with the internet, I can provide you with printable versions you can fill out with a pen or pencil and fax or mail in to us. The important thing is not to miss your opportunity to be heard.

The provincial government through the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks Environmental Policy Branch is seeking your input on a proposal to update Ontario’s water quantity management framework. The Ontario government is taking action through its Made in Ontario Environment Plan to protect lakes, waterways and the ground water supply in Ontario, now and for future generations. Again, it is important not to miss your opportunity to be heard. The water quantity management proposal is open for public comment on the Environmental Registry until Aug. 2, 2020, at https://ero.ontario.ca/ notice/019-1340. If you have internet challenges please contact me and I will help you access this information. The OGWA will be commenting on this, so if you prefer, forward your comments to the office and we will include them in the OGWA formal response.

The federal government has called for the formation of the Canada Water Agency. For the first time since 1970, when the Canada Water Act was passed, the formation of the Canada Water Agency will provide the first step to modernizing water management from coast to coast to coast. The agency will work with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean and well managed as directed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a mandate letter dated Dec. 13, 2019. There are five questions as ways to participate in this consultation. In his comment in Question 2, Dr. Alfonso Rivera identified that ground water is not getting the significance that it deserves. “A complete and intelligent Federal Water Agency should fully and implicitly include groundwater in its mandate.” He also stated, “Groundwater is an issue of national security.” I concur and thank him for these statements.

I encourage you all to visit PlaceSpeak: Protecting Canada’s Fresh Water and “Participate”: https://www.placespeak.com/en/topic/6321-protecting-canadas-freshwater/#/. Share your thoughts on the creation of a Canada Water Agency. This goes hand in hand with all of you interested in the Canadian National Ground Water Association. Surf the five questions and comment on one or two or all five.

I want to remind you of something! Taking part in surveys and commenting in requests for proposals is like voting. If you do not participate, you do not have the right to complain. If we do not all partake in improving the situation of this industry it will never change for the better.

We are better together!

CRAIG STAINTON, Executive Director

UPDATING ONTARIO’S WATER QUANTITY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTIONS

1 Establish priorities of water use in the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation

Amend the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation (O. Reg. 387/04)

1 Provide guidance on applying priorities of water use Guidance to be developed

2 Add authority in regulation to manage water takings on an area basis

Amend the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation (O. Reg. 387/04)

Update existing guidance for managing water takings on an area basis Guidance to be developed

2 Develop additional guidance for managing water takings in drought conditions Guidance to be developed

2 Replacing high use watershed maps and prohibitions in the regulation

3 Enable sharing of water quantity data

3 Enhance access to water quantity data

Amend the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation (O. Reg. 387/04)

Amend Water Taking and Transfer Regulation (O. Reg. 387/04) and Environmental Activity Sector Registry (EASR) - Water Taking Regulation (O. Reg. 63/16)

Build dedicated public-facing online resource

Review, update existing and develop new water quantity data sets

Regularly communicate information on the state of water resources in Ontario and management programs via the ministry’s water quantity online resource

4 Require water bottling companies to report whether they have support from the host municipality when applying for a new or expanded water taking

Amend the Water Taking and Transfer Regulation (O. Reg. 387/04)

AN OGWA VIRTUAL AGM

Just what would that look like? What to do about the Annual General Meeting has been a burning question around many a boardroom table this year, and no less ours.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a corporation without share capital was required to hold an annual meeting of members not more than 15 months after the holding of the previous annual meeting and no later than six months after the corporation’s last completed financial year.

Then came COVID-19 and the Ontario government passed an Emergency Order that extends the time frame by which corporations under which Ontario Corporations Act (OCA) non-profits must hold AGMs. The Emergency Order extends the deadline for holding an AGM under the OCA until:

• 120 days after the declared emergency has been terminated (we do not know that date yet) if the deadline for holding the meeting would otherwise have fallen within 30 days after that termination date; and

• in all other cases, 90 days after the declared emergency has been terminated.

Also, the Emergency Order allows corporations under the OCA to hold meetings of directors and members virtually (i.e., electronically or by telephone).

If a corporation’s bylaws are silent on the issue (which the OGWA’s are), then it is optional to hold a meeting of the members by telephonic or electronic means. Section 125.1 of the OCA has been temporarily suspended by the Emergency Order. The Emergency Order allows all OCA corporations to hold meetings of members by telephone or electronic means and to have members vote through such means. What say you? I would appreciate hearing from any members with an opinion at their earliest convenience. Do we schedule a virtual/teleconference AGM? What would it look like: a full agenda or just the bare bones?

–K.C. Craig Stainton, OGWA Executive Director

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS

BY ELLALINE DAVIES

Hello OGWA members. Here we are! It’s July 2020 and I trust that you are all doing well.

1) The COVID-19 threat still exists and, with vacation time coming up for some of you or your family members and friends, here is a gentle reminder that you will need to keep those distancing and masking practices continuing while on vacay.

2) On another note, with this extreme heat, please ensure that you have plenty of water available for drinking and that you force yourself to drink water every 20 minutes or so, even when you are not thirsty! Dehydration is common at this time of year and so is heat stress.

3) Regular maintenance on equipment takes time, costs money and removes equipment from service. However, regular maintenance is key to preventing injuries and incidents. I recently had a situation where a boom collapsed on a three-week-old piece of equipment. The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development wanted to see the bill of sale, maintenance reports, daily inspections records along with operator training records.

FYI: The Ministry of Labour is now the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. If you would like information on the new WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program – it has non-financial and financial incentives – just let me know.

Please take care of yourselves and each other!

Ellaline Davies is a facilitator, trainer and the president of Safety Works Consulting Inc.

ONTARIO GROUND WATER ASSOCIATION 2020 STUDENT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION - FREE

ONTARIO GROUND WATER ASSOCIATION

2020 STUDENT MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION - FREE RENEWABLE TWICE PER YEAR with PROOF of STUDENT STATUS:

Renewable twice per year with proof of student status: Fall 2020: June 15, 2020 Winter 2020: December 15, 2020

Fall 2020: June 15, 2020

NEW MEMBERSHIP

Winter 2020: December 15, 2020

DO NOT list my name on the OGWA website. (Listing = University/College/School Name, Contact Name, Address, City, Province, Postal Code, Phone &/or Cell Number) E-mail addresses will be listed unless OGWA is notified otherwise

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL: Fill in only information that has changed Send a copy of your current proof of student status.

Check to indicate you understand that under Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation, you agree to allow OGWA to send general email news, bulletins, and event notices in addition to standard communication regarding your membership.

University/College Name:

Contact Name:

Address:

City:

Prov: Postal Code:

Phone/Ext: Cell: Alternative Phone:

E-mail:

If you have a Website, blog, etc., and wish to have it posted: **MANDATORY: Proof of Student status must be submitted for new membership and for renewals.

New Membership & Renewal Instructions

Whether you are a new or renewing member of the OGWA it is most important that you take the time to fill out the Membership Application completely The information you provide is for your benefit and to ensure you receive news and event information.

Please contact the OGWA (519) 245-7194: Jennifer at ext 101 or Craig at ext 103 with any questions.

Student – Half Year: 15 June to 14 December 2020

Student – Half Year: 15 December 2020 to 14 June 2021

Please e-mail, mail, or fax to: Ontario Ground Water Association 125-750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas ON N5P 1E2 Fax: 519-245-7196 Email: admin@ogwa.ca

RURAL WELL WATER TESTING PACKAGES

Rural Well Water Testing Packages

Brought to you by Well Wise and the Ontario Ground Water Association

Brought to you by Well Wise and the Ontario Ground Water Association (OGWA)

Contractors or Well Owners

• To order by phone call Jennifer Hudson at (519) 245 -7194 x 101

• Or visit our website to use our fillable PDF form and submit it to admin@ogwa.ca or by fax to (519) 245 -7196

For Bacterial Testing: Please contact your local Public Health Unit. The Ontario Government offers residents free testing of your private well water for total Coliforms and E. Co li.

Fuels $ 215.00**

Solvents $ 135.99**

Metals, Minerals and Salts $ 169.99**

“Detailed general chemistry package; all wells should be screened for these impurities.”

This package tests more than 40 parameters. It is a good general chemistry water testing package providing well owners with a detailed understanding of impurities that may be in their water because of rock or surrounding land uses. It includes hardness, iron and heavy metals.

These packages are useful if you live near a gas station, if you have underground fuel storage or industrial uses nearby or if you have any reason to suspect an issue with petroleum products in your water supply. Combining both test packages will assess 40 different compounds and includes: Benzene, vin yl chloride, acetone, chloroform and methyl bromide .

Visit our Website for additional information www.ogwa.ca

Test Kits are couriered to your business or home, then picked up and delivered to the lab.

** Shipping cost, administration and taxes are additional to the prices listed.

ONTARIO GROUND WATER ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Ontario Ground Water Association Membership Benefits

The OGWA has negotiated special Corporate Membership rates with the 3 district areas in Ontario with CAA. Please remember besides roadside assistance CAA offer members discountson many goods and services. CAA Members can enjoy the features and services offered by affiliate auto clubs across North America and around the world.

The OGWA has negotiated special Corporate Membership rates with the 3 district areas in Ontario with CAA. Please remember besides roadside assistance CAA offer members discounts on many goods and services. CAA Members can enjoy the features and services offered by affiliate auto clubs across North America and around the world.

Enjoy all the Benefits brought to you by being associated with the NGWA, as a member of the Ontario Ground Water Association you will have access to many of the programs and offerings brought to you by the largest groundwater association in the world.

As the largest insurer of groundwater contractors in Canada, Lackner McLennan Insurance has made available a unique and taylor-made product covering all aspects of your insurance requirements. Starting back in 1992 they have continued to service the industry’s changing requirements and have earned the trust of over 200 professional groundwater companies. Your company’s assets are your investment and Lackner McLennan will provide you the protection required for you Automobiles, Buildings, Contents, Equipment and Commercial Liability.

As the largest insurer of groundwater contractors in Canada, Lackner McLennan Insurance has made available a unique and taylor-made product covering all aspects of your insurance requirements. Starting back in 1992 they have continued to service the industryʼs changing requirements and have earned the trust of over 200 professional groundwater companies. Your companyʼs assets are your investment and Lackner McLennan will provide you the protection required for you Automobiles, Buildings, Contents, Equipment and Commercial Liability.

Recently through the Economical Insurance Company, we can now offer a reduced cost Home and Automobile insurance product available to all your employees. This offering is an employment benefit that comes to you at no cost. Have your employees call direct for savings on their personal insurance requirements.

Thrifty Car Rental services offers special member rates and benefits throughout all their North American locations and access to their Blue-Chip Express Rental Program with availability to commercial vehicles - pickups and vans.

GOSTWEAR provides good quality Canadian and American made work wear for you and your employees. Please visit their website and take advantage of free shipping on orders over $149.00 - https://www.gostwear.com

Choice Hotels is Canada’s largest lodging chain with over 270 hotels coast to coast. They offer 8 distinct brands at different budget levels providing more lodging choices than any other hotel chainin the world. Choice Hotels also represents hotel brands in 46 countries with more than 4700 locations. Offering a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee to our members or there is no charge for your room.

Choice Hotels is Canadaʼs largest lodging chain with over 270 hotels coast to coast. They offer 8 distinct brands at different budget levels providing more lodging choices than any other hotel chain in the world. Choice Hotels also represents hotel brands in 46 countries with more than 4700 locations. Offering a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee to our members or there is no charge for your room.

OGWA Members’ Newest Benefit Program. 1% above dealer invoice pricing! As a member of the Ontario Ground Water Association, you can purchase or lease a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle from Parkway Ford Lincoln Waterloo. When it comes to your bottom line, your membership in the OGWA pays dividends.

OGWA Members' Newest Benefit Program. 1% above dealer invoice pricing! As a member of the Ontario Ground Water Association, you can purchase or lease a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle from Parkway Ford Lincoln Waterloo. When it comes to your bottom line, your membership in the OGWA pays dividends.

Discover the value CFIB has to offer its members. Get resources from business experts, access webinars and templates for common HR issues. Get exclusive discounts on payment processing, banking, payroll, shipping and more. Have your say with policies that affect your business, as CFIB is your strong voice for Canadian Businesses and included in your OGWA Membership.

Perkopolis is Canada’s leading provider of fully managed perk programs, continually sourcing exclusive, high-value offers, rewards, and benefits. Get savings on entertainment, travel, shopping, dining and more! Included in your OGWA membership.

ESTIMATING WELL YIELD

A practical way to analyze well yield testing data

In order to provide assistance to well technicians completing the well record for a domestic well, this article presents a practical approach for the analysis of the results of well yield testing data collected as part of the well construction activities of a domestic well.

INTRODUCTION

According to the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), there are roughly 780,000 water well records in the publicly available digital water well record database. This source of “big data” contains information about the location, type of well, depth, construction materials/drilling method, geologic materials encountered, driller’s (well contractor and technician) name, water quality, response to pumping and estimated yield of the individual well that is recorded. Water well records date back to the early 1900s and over the past 100 years, the information contained in the water well records has varied considerably, for various reasons. For example, due to more recent privacy policies, well owner names are no longer made available to the public. Another reason is related to the level of experience, expertise and training received by the well technician over their career.

The content for this paper comes from a course for Certified Well Technicians offered by Fleming College referred to as Continuing Education Course GEOL 69, Well Logging and Testing Fundamentals, and presents two methods to assist well technicians when completing the boxes in the Well Record form relating to the

Recommended pump rate and Well Production sections.

BACKGROUND

Ontario Regulation 903, otherwise referred to as R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 903 (Wells Regulation) as amended made under the Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O. 40 (Wells Regulation) establishes the minimum construction (including abandonment) requirements and outlines the licensing requirements, conditions and the roles and responsibilities required of licensed well contractors, well technicians and well

1: Well Yield Testing Table from Water Well Record.

by PETER GRAY, P. GEO, QPESA

owners in complying with the regulation in Ontario.

One specific requirement of the well technician is the completion of a two-hour pumping test on the well, which includes one hour of pumping at a constant rate while measuring and recording water levels in the well at a prescribed rate, followed by one hour of non-pumping, or recovery, while measuring and recording the water levels as the well recovers from the stress imposed on it by pumping. As shown in Table 1, space is provided on the Well Record form for this drawdown and recovery data.

WELL YIELD TEST

According to the Wells Regulation, the well must be pumped for a minimum period of one hour using a pump that has been installed in the well, while maintaining a constant pumping rate. This activity can be performed by a Class 1 or 4 Licensed Well Technician. The constant rate can be regulated in a number of ways, from measuring and timing a specific volume of the pumped ground water into a pail, to using an in-line flow meter. The main point is that the pumping rate remains constant throughout the well yield test.

Water levels are most accurately measured in the well using an electronic water level meter / tape, or

lowered inside of a temporarily installed one-inch (1”) or two-inch (2”) PVC tube with a slotted well screen at its base, referred to as a “drop tube.” The drop tube, as shown in photo 1, typically terminates at a depth lower than the depth that the water will be drawn down, which is commonly close to the top of the pump. The drop tube helps ensure that the electronic water level tape or datalogger doesn’t get caught up in the wires for the submersible pump, or set off from water cascading into the well in open bedrock holes. The water pumped from the well must be discharged far enough away from the well so as to not cause recirculation back into the well and thereby influence the pumping and recovery water levels.

DATA ANALYSIS

Recovery Data

Both the pumping, or drawdown water levels, and recovery water levels reveal critical information about the operation of the well. One key outcome of the pumping test is to determine if the well recovers after one hour to within roughly 95 per cent of the drawdown measured after pumping for one hour. If the amount of drawdown is roughly equal to the amount of recovery, then the data collected is representative of the aquifer conditions surrounding the well and the data can be used to confidently estimate the well yield.

If the recovery rate or amount is not close to the drawdown rate or amount, then there are either well- or aquiferrelated factors that will result in an incorrect well yield estimation. This discrepancy is more often the case in bedrock aquifers, where the water pumped comes from storage of the ground water in cracks, or fractures or weathered bedding planes in the bedrock. Once these features in the

bedrock that store and transmit the ground water are drained, they can take a long time to refill/recharge, resulting in low recovery rates. In this case, the pumping data collected will result in an overestimation of the yield of the well.

Pumping – Drawdown Data

To analyze the drawdown data, a review of some well terms is helpful, as shown in Drawing 1 Well Schematic.

• Static level (SWL)

− The level attained by water at equilibrium in a well when no water is being taken from the well

• Pumping level (PWL)

Water level in a well while water is being taken from the well

• Drawdown (DD)

Difference between the static water level and the pumping water level

• Available Drawdown

Difference between the static water level and the maximum level the water can be safely drawn down during pumping, also referred to as the pumping level

Specific Capacity (SC) Estimation Method 1 Specific capacity is a term used to describe the amount of water a well delivers when pumped, per unit measure of drawdown.

The formula for Specific Capacity is: SC = pumping rate (in gpm or L/min) / drawdown (in ft or m), so the units are represented in gpm/ft or L/min/m drawdown.

The pumping rate is determined by the well technician, and it is the rate that the well was pumped for the one-hour period. The drawdown is the amount of drawdown measured by the well technician after the one-hour period. To calculate the SC, a case study is provided:

As shown in Table 2: Case study data, the specific capacity (SC) for the well = pumping rate / drawdown = 25 L/min/10 m = 2.5 L/min/m. This demonstrates

that for every metre(m) of drawdown, the well produces 2.5 L/min.

This information can then be used to determine the Well Production rate to insert into Table 2 = available drawdown x SC. The Well Production rate is the rate determined by the technician to represent the maximum rate at which the well can be pumped.

The available drawdown, as noted above and shown on Drawing 1, is the difference between the water level at the maximum amount of drawdown and the static water level. In the Specific Capacity case study, the pump intake is set at 25 m. For safety purposes (i.e., enough water to cool the pump), the technician wants to maintain at least 1 m of water in the well above the pump, so the available drawdown = 24m - 6m = 18m.

To calculate the Well Production rate = available drawdown x SC = 18 m x 2.5 L/min/m = 45 L/min.

The Recommended pump rate for the Table 2: Study Case Data could also be 45 L/min, or something less depending on the well technician’s knowledge of the well and how it performed during pumping and development, but nothing more or else more drawdown will occur. In some cases, the well technician builds in a safety factor when recommending a pumping rate, such as 0.75, in order to account for changes in the aquifer or well condition, which would result in a recommended pumping rate of 45 L/min x 0.75 = 34 L/min for this case study.

Projecting Drawdown Data Method 2 Using the data from the pumping

Photo1: Drop tube in a domestic well.

Table 2: Case study data.

SOURCE: PETER GRAY.

Graph 1: Drawdown data from case study for 60 minutes of pumping.

test, the amount of drawdown is calculated for each water level measurement, as shown in Table 2. This data can then be plotted on semi-log graph paper as shown in Graph 1. Graph 1 shows that 10 m of drawdown was measured after 60 min of pumping. Since the well has 18 m of available drawdown, can the well produce more than the 25 L/min that it was pumped at?

If a straight line was drawn through the data to project the drawdown to 1 day (1440 min), which would simulate the well pumping at the same rate for 24 hours, as shown on Graph 2 Projected Drawdown, then the resulting drawdown would be 17 m. This method does not account for any changes in the well or aquifer conditions during the 24-hour period.

SOURCE:

Graph 2: Projected Drawdown of 17 m after 1 Day of Pumping (1440 minutes) at 25 L/min.

INSURANCE PROGRAM

PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR:

• Water Well Drilling Contractors

• Pump Installation Contractors

• Geo Thermal Heating Contractors

• Hydro Geologists / Geo Scientists

• Manufacturers / Suppliers

This method predicts that the well can be pumped at 25 L/min for 24 hours with a resulting drawdown of 17 m, which is less than the 18 m of available drawdown and maintains 1 m of water in the well above the pump for pump-cooling purposes. If, for another example, the well had 35 m of available drawdown, then this example shows that only 50 per cent of the available drawdown was used, and a higher pumping rate could be recommended by the well technician. However, in this case the well technician could safely conclude 25 L/min for both the Well Production rate and the Recommended pump rate.

HELPFUL WELL TERMS

COVERAGES INCLUDE:

• Automobile & Fleet

• Property & Commercial Liability

• Environmental Impairment Liability

• Errors & Omissions (Professional) Liability

• Bonding

Directors & Officers / Employment Practices COVERAGE: A liability program designed to provide you with defense costs arising from an employee dispute or issue with one of the Ministries. (Labour, Environment, Revenue)

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Static level (SWL) − The level attained by water at equilibrium in a well when no water is being taken from the well

Pumping level (PWL) − Water level in a well while water is being taken from the well

Drawdown (DD) − Difference between the static water level and the pumping water level

Available drawdown – Difference between the static water level and the maximum level the water can be safely drawn down during pumping, also referred to as the pumping level (See Drawing 1, Well Schematic)

SUMMARY

Ontario Regulation 903, otherwise referred to as the Wells Regulation under the Ontario Water Resources Act, sets out the minimum requirements for licensed well contractors and well technicians when performing a well yield test on a domestic well. This article has examined two approaches to assist the well technician when completing the section entitled Results of Well Yield Testing by specifically outlining two approaches to complete the boxes related to the Recommended pump rate and Well Production sections in the Water Well Record form.

The water level data collected from pumping the well for one hour at a constant rate and measuring the well recovery for the following one-hour period, provides valuable information about the

The

water pumped from the well must be discharged far enough away from the well so as to not cause recirculation back into the well and thereby influence the pumping and recovery water levels.

performance of the well and the aquifer that it is constructed in. If the amount of drawdown measured after pumping the well for one hour at a constant rate is roughly equal to the amount of recovery measured after one hour, then the drawdown data can reliably be used to calculate and recommend a pumping rate and production rate for the well tested by using either the Specific Capacity method or the Extended Drawdown method.

Peter Gray is vice-president and senior hydrogeologist of MTE Consultants Inc., in Kitchener, Ont. He is a licensed well contractor #C-7302, and an instructor of Continuing Education for Fleming College.

DETECTING A SECOND WAVE

Wastewater research aims to predict COVID-19 cases

Researchers with the Ontario Tech University science department in Oshawa, Ont., are working with Durham Region Health Department, Durham Region Works Department and other partners to detect an anticipated second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team will collect and test dozens of untreated sewage samples weekly from multiple water pollution control plants in Durham Region, the university said in a news release. They will check for traces of the virus and develop a model for predicting new cases for identifying new coronavirus hot spots in the area.

The tracked information will be shared with Durham Region Health Department officials to help determine appropriate steps to limit or prevent further infection in the community.

The capacity for targeted wastewater sampling near local long-term care homes, for instance, means there will be an early warning system in place for vulnerable populations. The sampling protocol and models will be made available for use by other communities across Canada.

COVID-19 can spread rapidly. Many COVID patients are asymptomatic, so individuals may transmit the disease before it is detected. State-of-the-art tools for early detection of viruses in wastewater can indicate the severity of infection in a community, mitigating and reducing infection spread.

THE RESEARCH

Ontario Tech University biological science expert Dr. Andrea Kirkwood (part of Canadian Water Network’s COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition) will lead the sample testing with her faculty of science research colleagues Dr. Denina Simmons (Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Biology) and chemistry expert Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers. After initial tests in Dr. Kirkwood’s lab, Dr. Desaulniers’ lab will measure and quantify viral DNA. Dr. Simmons will look at pharmaceutical and metabolite indicators, and any biomarkers connected to COVID-19 disease symptoms.

Ontario Tech mathematician Dr. Greg Lewis and computer scientists on the team will contribute to the predictive mathematical modelling.

by GROUND WATER CANADA STAFF

PROJECT BENEFITS

Wastewater epidemiological monitoring will provide reliable data for potential infections within a certain area, and in some cases up to five days before residents start to show symptoms of infection.

These tools have the potential to protect public health and provide significant near-term and long-term economic savings.

Predictive models could serve as a basis for a proactive regional, provincial, or national response plans to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, including a resurgence of COVID-19 or other viruses.

The research has received external financial support, including $90,000 from Mitacs, a non-profit national research organization that works with academic institutions to meet business challenges with innovative research solutions; $50,000 from the Ontario Clean Water Agency; $30,000 from Cole Engineering Group Ltd.; and major in-kind contributions from Durham Region.

For more on surface and wastewater research, visit groundwatercanada.com

Ontario Tech University biological science expert Dr. Andrea Kirkwood, a member of Canadian Water Network’s COVID-19 Wastewater Coalition, will lead the sample testing. PHOTO

KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

Ground water expert John Cherry talks contaminants, water security and The Groundwater Project

John Cherry is Adjunct Professor and member of the G360 Institute For Groundwater Research at the University of Guelph; visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong; and Distinguished Emeritus Professor at the University of Waterloo.

by JAMES CARELESS

RIGHT: Internationally distinguished ground water scientist John Cherry, recipient of this year’s Stockholm Water Prize for ground water contamination research, is leading the Groundwater Project: a large, international project focused on producing a series of electronic books that will be available internationally to download free of charge.

In 2016, he received the Lee Kwan Yew Water Prize and, this year, he received the Stockholm Water Prize for ground water contamination research. We spoke with Prof. Cherry about threats to ground water such as PFAS, water security concerns and ground water education.

WHAT THREAT DO POLLUTANTS POSE TO GROUND WATER RESOURCES AROUND THE WORLD AND PARTICULARLY IN CANADA?

Ground water in the industrialized countries, and Canada is no exception, is increasingly polluted by a myriad of chemical compounds. In the 1950s, chromium, petroleum products and detergents were found in ground water. They have apparently done little harm because they are strongly “assimilated”, for example,

retained by the geologic media or biodegraded within the vast ground water reservoir. The assumed strong capacity to assimilate was the basis for septic systems that became ubiquitous after that time. The first inkling that some contaminants in ground water are not readily assimilated came in the late 1970s when chlorinated solvents were found in thousands of public water supply wells across the United States. This resulted from the 1974 safe drinking water regulations; in 1980 more regulations in the United States and later elsewhere mandated investigations of contaminated industrial sites. These showed persistent presence of chlorinated solvents (for example, PCE, TCE, TCA and daughter products) at thousands of sites and demonstrated that some types of chemical compounds have long-lived subsurface sources, are not readily degraded and travel rapidly in some aquifers. Since the 1990s, more types of mobile and persistent industrial chemicals were discovered in water wells including 1,4 dioxane and perchlorate. The latest of these discoveries is a category of modern synthesized organic chemical known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The discovery of contamination of each type in Canadian ground water generally lags the United States and some European countries, likely because, in Canada, ground water monitoring is a provincial responsibility and the regulations governing this are generally weak or unenforced.

WHEN WAS THIS THREAT FIRST NOTICED, AND WHY WAS IT IGNORED PRIOR TO THIS?

PFAS was first noticed in ground water more than a decade ago in the United States but the realization of the immense implications of this did not come until a few years ago, primarily in the U.S. and Australia. There has been no comprehensive monitoring for PFAS in ground water in Canada. Because ground water contamination issues in Canada are not a federal responsibility and because there are no large Canadian population centres dependent on ground water, the resources allocated to ground water quality studies in Canada are minimal compared to most wealthy countries. Seeking to discover ground water contamination in Canada is generally avoided because, once discovered, this presents problems for the government organizations that are supposed to be looking out for the safety of our water supplies. Although nearly 30 per cent of Canadians rely on wells for their drinking water, these Canadians are mostly in small communities and rural areas, so political influence that could bring improvements is unfocused. When it is discovered that wells are contaminated, the people who have been drinking the water are fearful and want to know the consequences. Convincing answers are rarely available. The largest urban areas in Canada dependent on ground water are Waterloo Region and Guelph in Ontario. Of the communities

in Canada dependent on ground water, only Waterloo Region has advanced facilities for ground water analyses.

WHAT IS PFAS, AND WHY IS IT THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT TO GROUND WATER POTABILITY?

PFAS are a group of a several thousand individual chemical compounds used as oil and water repellents and coatings for common products including cookware, carpets and textiles. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals do not break down when they are released into the environment, and over time they accumulate in the food chain and in humans. In some countries PFAS chemicals are increasingly found in drinking water supplies near facilities where the chemicals have been used or disposed of. PFAS contamination has been detected in wells near manufacturing facilities as well as military bases and firefighting training facilities where foam containing PFAS is used. PFAS may be the worst of all of the ground water contaminants because they bioaccumulate and are least prone to degradation, toxicological and analytical difficulties are large, and the safe drinking water levels are likely extremely low (pg/L).

WHAT OTHER CHEMICALS THREATEN GROUND WATER POTABILITY, IN WHAT VOLUMES AND HOW SERIOUSLY?

After decades of loading up ground water with chemicals, few aquifers remain in which the ground water pumped from

wells does not show some degree of contamination. Pristine ground water is rare. The general trend is towards increasing types of chemicals showing up in water supply wells with no end in sight. There is inadequate monitoring and minimal risk assessments for the long term. Although each new contaminant type found in ground water has come as a surprise – testimony to society’s lack of dedication to get out in front of this problem – what did not come as a surprise was widespread nitrate and phosphorus in ground water from chemical agriculture. Much of the nitrogen and phosphorus applied to crops is flushed into ground water. Nitrate is mobile and has migrated to impact the ecosystems of rivers, lakes and estuaries. Phosphorus travels more slowly so the impacts are delayed but likely inevitable. In many parts of Canada salt flushed from roads is a major ground water contaminant. Because there are now many types of contaminants that are mobile and degrade slowly or minimally, and because chemicals can live in ground water for decades or centuries, ground water contamination should be addressed as a cumulative issue on a human time scale. Unfortunately, each known contamination occurrence is perceived as a separate problem because each is local in a particular part of a particular aquifer and hence each produces impacts relating only to a small subset of the human population. But there are certainly

many unknown cases of ground water contamination, so attention is needed to understand the cumulative chemical loading to ground water. Given that ground water contamination only rarely causes bad taste or smell even when the contamination is substantial, there is an unfounded but seemingly intuitive confidence in ground water ‘purity.’ There are no estimates for chemical loading to ground water in Canada and no estimates of assimilative capacities for Canada’s aquifers. As industrialization expands and population increases, the number of chemical release types, locations and total loading rates are likely increasing. Due to lack of any comprehensive monitoring, the overall magnitude of the problem is unknown but it is reasonable to conclude the problem is only going to get worse.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM? IS ANYTHING BEING DONE?

In our current ‘cradle-to-grave’ approach to industrial production, ground water is the grave and this is also true for chemical agriculture. Our vast and invaluable ground water environment is being polluted without insight about the end result. Bold initiatives are needed: taxes on water use to fund monitoring and research to understand the full nature and extent of contamination, agricultural policies to level the playing field for chemical versus ecological agriculture, laws that require all new chemicals and products to have fullcycle analyses concerning toxicology,

mobility and fate in ground water, and incentives for the pursuit of ‘cradle-tocradle’ manufacturing. For this problem, Canada is lost in its wilderness so to speak. There is an active lobby pressing the federal government to establish a federal Canada Water Agency to focus on water security. Without such an agency it is likely that there will be no substantial progress in Canada.

Perhaps above all there needs to be much more education about ground water. For this, working with colleagues around the world, I have initiated the Groundwater Project (GW-Project), administered from the University of Guelph. It is a large, international project focused on producing a series of electronic books that will be available internationally to download free of charge. The GW-Project intends to cover nearly all aspects of ground water. The subject matter is organized into 17 domains with each domain containing multiple topics addressed in books. Because these materials will be published electronically, with no intention for paper publishing, there is more flexibility in the amount of material that can be covered and the manner of presentation. Nearly 300 scientists and practitioners from around the world have agreed to participate and more participants are engaging. The project aims for widespread global education about ground water; therefore, books are produced in English first and then translated into several

other languages soon after. The project website, gw-project.org, shows the first round of publications planned for release in August 2020, with many more to follow. More than 200 books are in preparation by experts around the world for publication in 2020 and 2021.

The Groundwater Project will serve the needs of ground water teaching and education in many ways. Once books are on the web, we will seek instructors who want to select from the materials and create online modules for use by instructors who would prefer a predefined course map. A parallel track of materials is being prepared aimed at non-ground-water-specialized science and non-technical readership (consultants, managers, policy specialists), and general readership such as private well owners, nongovernmental organizations, community water systems, environmental groups, and for high school education.

The Groundwater Project is aimed at educating and reaching out to all ground water stakeholders, including the drilling community. I have worked with many drillers and water-well companies and have a deep respect for those who toil in that important service industry – an industry that like many things to do with ground water goes without notice and without enough societal respect.

For more on ground water education, visit groundwatercanada.com

NEW PRODUCTS

GOULDS WATER TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES VARIABLE SPEED SYSTEM

Goulds Water Technology, a Xylem brand, recently launched the e-HME and e-SVE pumps with integrated and variable speed control and intelligence. These are easy-toinstall variable speed systems that combine a hydraulic pump with permanent magnet motor technology and a variable speed drive to provide up to 70 per cent energy savings in residential and agricultural applications, the company said in a press release.

“Installers need the right combination of motor, drive and hydraulic pump in a turnkey package for applications such as pressure

boosting and irrigation, said Stephen Clark, Xylem product line manager, monitoring and controls, applied water systems. “Our e-HME and e-SVE ranges are truly smart pumps that deliver high performance and optimize energy use right out of the box.”

Goulds Water Technology e-HME and e-SVE pumps are pre-programmed for quick installation, and have stainless steel casing and inner components for minimal noise levels and long service life. The products are certified to the NSF/ANSI 61 Drinking Water System Components standard to deliver safe, quality potable water, and are rated NEMA 3R for outdoor installation.

The IE5 ultra-premium permanent magnet motor operates single- or multi-pump systems of up to three pumps without an external control panel or programmable logic controller. Users can quickly install a system by adding power and plumbing, press start and the system is ready to perform. No external drive or controller is required.

The e-HME is available in five models and delivers up to 130 gallons per minute and 540 feet total dynamic head. The e-SVE is available in six models with multiple construction design and delivers up to 85 gallons per minute and 710 feet total dynamic head. Both product lines are available in 0.5 to 2 horsepower.

goulds.com

GRUNDFOS WELLCONNECT APP ADDS NEW PUMP MODULE

Responding to user feedback, Grundfos has released a new pump module in its most recent update to the company’s WellConnect App.

“Based on valuable user feedback, we have improved the WellConnect app by adding a new pump module, making improvements to the well visualizer graphics and functionality, and allowing

the user to enter pump data independently of well information,” said Dan Story, vice-president of sales for ground water and irrigation at Grundfos. “The new module gives users the ability to record pump end and motor information, pump panel and control information, pump installation details, and record site troubleshooting and test information.”

App improvements include the ability to record pump end information and motor information, record pump panel and control information, record pump installation details, record a site test for the pump and enter pump data independently of well information.

The well visualizer graphics and functionality also have been improved.

The platform helps water well contractors complete daily water system management tasks from their phone, tablet or computer, including drilling logs, completion and downhole data, pump history and maintenance history.

grundfos.us/wellconnect

VERMEER STANDARD TELEMATICS FREE FOR 3 YEARS ON NEW INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES

Vermeer is offering three years of telematics service on all new Vermeer industrial equipment.

The Vermeer standard telematics package includes access to operating hours, GPS location and geofencing capabilities to help contractors stay informed about the service needs of their fleet. Also, Vermeer will begin introducing new tiers of telematics packages across all of its industrial product lines that will incorporate machine performance information as well as many other data-driven metrics to help crews work more efficiently and maximize their equipment.

Vermeer equipment lines that now come with standard telematics include horizontal directional drills, pipeline

trenchers and Vermeer Terrain Leveler surface excavation machines.

Additional Vermeer equipment lines will come standard with telematics over the next year.

“Telematics today have evolved, and reporting has gotten better,” said Brad Ausman, product manager for Vermeer Intelligent Worksite.

The standard Vermeer telematics package is free for the first three years with the purchase of a machine and can be extended beyond that for the cost of the cellular service.

vermeerstore.com

NEW ASCE STANDARD 69 DETAILS PRACTICES FOR MANAGED AQUIFER RECHARGE

A new standard from the American Society of Civil Engineers provides a thorough and up-to-date description of

managed aquifer recharge projects.

Ongoing demand for water supplies and the need for water storage have led managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to becoming an increasingly important component for both storage and supply in regional water planning and management, the ASCE said in a press release.

“Standard Guidelines for Managed Aquifer Recharge,” ASCE/EWRI 69-19, provides details on planning, design, construction, operation, monitoring and closure of MAR projects, along with background information on ground water and MAR concepts. It also describes the economic, environmental and legal considerations, such as water rights, laws, and regulations, as well as field investigation and testing procedures that may apply.

Water resources planners and stakeholders will find this a useful resource during

the initial evaluation and planning phases, as well as engineers, hydrologists and other professionals working on standardizing managed aquifer recharge practices, the ASCE said.

To purchase online visit the ASCE bookstore at https://sp360.asce.org

AP4 ULTRA AUTOPUMP SYSTEM FOR LANDFILL AND REMEDIATION PUMPING OFFERS HIGH REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES

The AP4 Ultra AutoPump System Automatic airpowered pumps from Q.E.D. Environmental Systems are designed with exceptional capabilities in the severe pumping conditions found at many landfill and remediation sites.

The Ultra builds upon the established AutoPump System, the company said in a press release. qedenv.com

Bringing in work in a COVID world

The world has changed and to be successful we need to change with it.

by Dave Mercer

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unparalleled changes to the way we live our lives. It also has affected how we run our businesses.

What changes do we need to make to operate in this new normal? We all know that you can’t do work if you don’t get work, and you can’t sell products and services if you don’t have customers. These basic tenets of business development apply as much today as they did pre-COVID. However, how we go about reaching potential clients and customers has changed. In this article we’ll look at three key ways to bring in work and expand client bases in the new normal.

1. BE VISIBLE

Now more than ever, your clients and customers need to know that you’re in business. Businesses need to be visible in the marketplace to survive. This can be a challenge today as trade shows and networking events have been put on hold. Still, finding ways to get you and your business in front of potential customers is a must.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. For contractors, it can be as simple as making sure your trucks are clean and having your name, logo and phone number clearly displayed so people see you as you head out on a job. Even if your vehicle isn’t in use, make sure it’s parked where people can see it. Now is also a good time to make sure your website is up to date and to consider if social media or Google Ads are good for you. And, even though events are cancelled, you can still be visible by attending webinars, or better yet, hosting them.

2. EXHAUST YOUR ROLODEX

This tried-and-true sales mantra can’t be overemphasized. We don’t have as many opportunities to meet new people these days, so instead we need to take some of the energy we used to put into making new contacts and reach

out to our existing contacts. People have been cooped up for a while and most will appreciate hearing from you. Just by saying hello you may learn some intel about the local market, or you may be able to help your contact out (which often helps you later on).

Most importantly, always ask if there is anyone else you should be speaking to. Referrals are far more successful than cold calls.

3. PIVOT

In sports the term “pivot” means making a quick change of direction in order to avoid the defence and keep moving forward. Businesses today need to be clever and shift directions in order to remain healthy and relevant. This doesn’t mean you have to change your business, but it does mean that you need to change some of the things you do to get business.

Here’s an example: A colleague of mine used to take clients out for beers at a local pub on Fridays after work. Did he give up on Friday beers? No, he pivoted. Now he orders delivery for his target contacts and hosts a virtual online happy hour. In this era of working from home, his clients have been extremely appreciative and won’t soon forget his thoughtfulness.

That example typifies what we all need to be doing as we consider developing our businesses in the time of COVID-19. The world has changed and to be successful we need to change with it. With a little ingenuity, we may just find ourselves better off than we were before.

Dave Mercer, P. Geo, spent over a decade managing ground water instrumentation projects. Today he operates Underground Communications, offering specialized business development and marketing services in geology-related industries. Dave is also general manager of the British Columbia Ground Water Association. He can be reached at Dave@undergroundcommunications.ca.