October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and at Granite Drilling Company, we want to take the opportunity to support the family fight against cancer. When someone is battling breast cancer, it means the whole family is fighting, and it can be especially hard on the kids. We want to help those children dealing with parental cancer by donating to Camp Kesem.  Camp Kesem supports children through and beyond a parent’s cancer with fun-filled programs that foster a lasting community. Driven by passionate college student leaders, Camp Kesem operates over 70 free summer camps in 33 states. In 2016, they served over 6,000 children – all funded by generous donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners.

Check our our Facebook page to learn more about our donation –  On Facebook, we are asking users to share our donation post with their friends and to like Granite Drilling Company!  After 1,000 likes, we will donate $1,000 to Camp Kesem!

Mike

Today is Protect your Groundwater Day!  While I recently blogged about the topic of groundwater – 5 Facts About Groundwater, today’s blog will be focused on an educational video demonstrating how ground water becomes utilized – How to Drill a Water Well.   The video displays the step by step processes of well drilling, well construction, and equipment installation needed to provide a safe home water supply.  This video was created by the American Ground Water Trust.  Enjoy the video – 1.9 million views so far!

Mike

Safety is a concern for any water well drilling business, and at Granite Drilling, it’s a top priority for how we function on every job.  While our machinery is state of the art, it’s still machinery, and it has to be operated by experienced workers.  When you hire Granite Drilling, you can be certain that we adhere by my top 5 safety requirements –

1. Look Up! – Look up before you set up!  Always ensure that when you raise the drill derrick or pump rig tower, you look up.  Seems obvious; however, many drillers have been killed by hitting power lines because they weren’t looking up to make sure they were clear to activate their machinery.
2. Wear a hard hat – It happens all the time…a worker is bent over fixing something or connecting piping, and suddenly, he/she stands up and hits his/her head on a large, metal pipe.   Not good!  We always wear hard hats.  My crew is not allowed to work without them.
3. Ear protection – The drill rig isn’t quiet.  It’s important to wear ear-plugs so that you can have a long career in being able to communicate with others on the job.
4. Lift objects properly – I encourage my crew to lift objects with the machinery provided (cranes/forklift).  If they can’t use the machinery, then when we lift heavy objects from the ground, we bend our knees.
5. Situational awareness – We are acutely aware of what is happening on any job, so as to ensure the team and equipment remain safe.

If you have a drilling operation, and you aren’t following these 5 rules, I recommend that you start.  Our employees are critical to our industry, and good ones are hard to find.  Let’s make sure we keep them safe.

Mike

1. Groundwater is rain water/precipitation that soaks into the soil, filling in beds of rock and sand openings.

2. 95% of all the fresh water in the world, excluding polar ice caps, is groundwater.

3. Through natural filtration, groundwater can move into large underground natural storage areas known as aquifers; in the mountainous regions, groundwater is stored within fractured bedrock.

4. Bottled water can come from groundwater.

5. “According to a 2001 independent market survey sponsored by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), 78% of private water well owners prefer receiving their drinking water from their own well.”

For more information on this topic, check out the article, “Understanding Groundwater” on the Well Owner website.

Thanks,

Mike

1.  A small child could fall into the well and become trapped.

2.  An old, unused well becomes a conduit for contamination, and the bacteria could get into the aquifer – impacting your drinking supply.

3.  If the well is open and exposed, small animals and rodents will fall into the hole and become trapped.  Even worse, if they die, they will decompose and contaminate the aquifer.

4.  Liability!  Depending on the county that you reside in, you could be fined for having a well that has not been destructed.

5.  Keeps the drinking water supply safe and clean for future generations to enjoy.

Not sure if your well is considered “abandoned?”   Check out the article from The California Department of Water Resources – providing a description of water well standards.

Thanks,

Mike