July 23, 2026
This week’s photo is courtesy of Armadrill- Zapopan, Jalisco, MX.
Safety Focus
Part 4 of 4: Hand Tool Safety & Cleaning: Implement
The last step turns a personal check into a crew standard. Decide up front what happens to a bad tool so it does not quietly go back in the toolbox. A mushroomed head should be removed from service unless you have a defined on-site reconditioning rule. A cracked handle or a wrench with sprung jaws is out: tag it “Do Not Use” and pull it. Assign who has authority to retire a tool so the call is not left to whoever is in a hurry. Pair all of it with eye protection, because struck tools can throw fragments, and eye protection belongs right there with hand-tool safety.
Key Takeaways
• A written “dress or retire” rule beats case-by-case judgment on a busy morning.
• One person owns the call to retire a tool.
• Eye protection is part of the hand-tool habit, not separate from it.
Sources:
• OSHA: 1926.301 Hand Tools
Industry Update
Texas Opens $1 Billion in One-Time Water Grants: Deadline is July 30th
Texas is putting real money on the table for water infrastructure. Through House Bill 500, the Texas Water Development Board has $1.038 billion in one-time grants for local government water supply and infrastructure projects, funded at 100 percent with no match required. Full applications are due July 30, and grant caps run from $5 million to $40 million based on population served. The money is prioritized for shovel-ready projects that fit the state water plan. For anyone doing well work in Texas, this is the kind of funding that turns into drilling.
Sources:
• Texas Water Development Board: Water Supply and Infrastructure Grants
Knowledge Share
Part 4 of 4: Vertical Line-Shaft Turbine Pumps 101: Implement
Close the week where a job actually starts: the spec. Before you order a line-shaft turbine, pin down the setting depth and confirm the bowls stay submerged at the pumping level, not just the static level. Choose the lubrication for the water and the depth. Check that the column length and alignment are right, because a shaft that runs out of true wears bearings fast. Decide the drive: an electric motor, or an engine through a right-angle gear. Confirm the thrust and bearing rating can carry the loaded shaft and its downthrust. Get those five right and the pump is set up to last.
What to check before you order: Setting depth, lubrication, column, drive, thrust. Five checks before the PO.
Sources:
• Wilo (Hydraulic Institute reference): Vertical Turbine Pump Basics
Industry Events
South Atlantic Jubilee
July 25-27, 2026; Myrtle Beach, SC
Information and Registration: South Atlantic Jubilee
National Water Resources Association: Western Water Seminar
August 3-6, 2026; Boise, ID
Information and Registration: NWRA: Western Water Seminar
NGWA: Darcy Lecture, Groundwater Recharge Regimes Are in Flux
August 4, 2026; Virtual Attendance, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET
Information and Registration: NGWA Event Calendar
NGWA Webinar: Data Centers and Groundwater
August 5, 2026; Virtual Attendance, 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET
Information and Registration: NGWA Event Calendar
American Ground Water Trust: Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas Groundwater Conference
August 18-19, 2026; Richmond, VA
Information and Registration: AGWT: Mid-Atlantic Conference
NGWA: Advancing Women in Groundwater, Conversations That Connect
August 27, 2026; Virtual Attendance, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET
Information and Registration: NGWA: Advancing Women in Groundwater
NGWA: Groundwater Week 2026
December 8-10, 2026; Las Vegas, NV
Information and Registration: NGWA Groundwater Week 2026
If you have a conference, symposium, workshop, or water well related event that you would like mentioned, contact us at [email protected]
Work Hard. Work Smart. Stay Safe!
