July 8, 2026
Safety Focus
Part 3 of 4: Hydration Done Right
"Drink plenty of water" is advice nobody argues with and almost nobody quantifies. NIOSH does. Its heat stress guidance, laid out in detail in the 2017 NIOSH mining heat stress publication, gives working numbers: when working in the heat, drink one cup (8 ounces) of water every 15 to 20 minutes. That works out to 24 to 32 ounces per hour. Small amounts on a steady schedule beat large amounts infrequently; your body absorbs a cup every 15 minutes far better than a half gallon slammed at lunch.
There is also a ceiling, and it matters. The same NIOSH document is explicit: do not drink more than 48 ounces, one and a half quarts, in an hour. Overdrinking plain water during heavy sweating can dilute blood sodium to dangerous levels, a condition called hyponatremia. More is not always better.
On electrolytes: during prolonged sweating lasting several hours, plain water alone stops being enough, because you are losing salt along with fluid. NIOSH and OSHA guidance supports drinking an electrolyte-containing beverage at the same 15 to 20 minute intervals during extended heavy sweating. Skip the salt tablets; they are not recommended, and a normal diet plus electrolyte drinks replaces what you lose. And go easy on the energy drinks and soda. High-sugar beverages slow fluid absorption, and heavy caffeine works against you when your cardiovascular system is already under heat strain.
One practical habit worth building into the morning meeting: hydration starts before the shift. A worker who shows up already behind on fluids spends the whole day trying to catch up in 100 degree heat, and usually loses. Tomorrow we close the series with the topic the fatality data points to hardest: acclimatization and why the first days on the job are the most dangerous.
Key Takeaways
• One cup (8 ounces) every 15 to 20 minutes, roughly 24 to 32 ounces per hour, on a schedule, not on thirst.
• Hard ceiling: no more than 48 ounces in any hour. Overhydration is a real risk during heavy sweating.
• During prolonged sweating, add electrolyte drinks at the same intervals. No salt tablets, and limit high-sugar and high-caffeine drinks.
Sources:
• NIOSH: Heat Stress: Hydration (2017)
• CDC/NIOSH: Heat Stress Recommendations
Industry Update
Texas Is About to Adopt a $174 Billion Water Plan
The biggest water well market in the country is about to publish its roadmap for the next half century, and the adoption vote is expected this month. The Texas Water Development Board posted the draft 2027 State Water Plan for public comment on April 16, held its public hearing May 27, and closed comments May 29. The Board is scheduled to consider adopting the plan at a meeting tentatively set for July 2026.
The plan is the sixth built through the state's 25-year-old regional planning process, compiled from the 16 regional water plans the Board approved on January 22. It identifies thousands of recommended strategies and projects, complete with projected costs and sponsoring entities, carrying an estimated $174 billion in total capital costs, more than double the $80 billion in the 2022 plan. This draft was released on an accelerated timeline specifically to support 2026 SWIFT financing commitments, the state's low-interest funding program for projects in the plan, which means projects on the plan have a direct path to funding.
For contractors and suppliers, the regional project lists are the useful part: they name the projects, the sponsors, and the costs, region by region. A fuller amendment to the plan is expected in fall 2026 with its own comment period, ahead of the January 5, 2027 statutory deadline. If Texas is in your service area, the project list for your region is worth an hour of your time.
Sources:
• Texas Water Development Board: 2027 State Water Plan
• Texas Water Development Board: 2026 Regional Water Plans (project lists by region)
Knowledge Share
Part 3 of 4: Sizing the Slot
Slot selection is where the sieve analysis pays off, and the rules differ by completion type. For naturally developed wells, A100-20 keys the retention target to the uniformity coefficient. Where the formation has a UC greater than 6 (well graded material with plenty of coarse fraction to bridge), select a slot that retains 30 to 40 percent of the formation. Where the UC is 6 or less (more uniform material with less coarse fraction to work with), tighten up and retain 40 to 50 percent. Some texts you will see use a UC threshold of 5; the 6 is specific to A100-20.
Water chemistry then gets a vote. In corrosive water, long-standing field guidance going back to Groundwater and Wells is to retain about 10 percent more than the tables say, up to the 50 percent end. The reason is mechanical: on low carbon steel screens, corrosion can enlarge a slot by a few thousandths of an inch, and that is all it takes to start pumping sand. Slot enlargement is generally not as big of a concern with stainless steel or PVC, which is part of why corrosive water often drives the material decision as much as the slot decision.
For filter packed wells, A100-20 specifies a slot that retains 80 to 95 percent of the pack material. One clarification so you are not confused when cross-referencing: the long-standing field convention from Groundwater and Wells, and repeated by USGS and most screen manufacturers, is to retain 90 percent or more of the pack. The A100-20 band is wider, but a design that retains 90 percent or better satisfies both the standard and the convention, and that is the safe place to be.
What this means for your operation:
• Make the retention math part of the written design record on every screened well: formation UC, retention target, and slot selected. It protects you when a well makes sand later.
• In corrosive water, consider spending the money on corrosion resistant materials, to reduce the rate at which the slot will get larger, due to corrosion.
Sources:
• AWWA: A100-20 Standard for Water Wells
• Roscoe Moss Company: A Guide to Water Well Casing and Screen Selection
Industry Events
Groundwater Resources Association of California: 2026 Groundwater 101 Week
July 13-17, 2026; Virtual Attendance
Information and Registration: GRA: 2026 Groundwater 101 Week
American Ground Water Trust: New Mexico Water Well Workshop
July 16, 2026; Albuquerque, NM
Information and Registration: AGWT: NM Well Workshop
WateReuse Arizona: 2026 Arizona Water Reuse Symposium
July 19-21, 2026; Flagstaff, AZ
Information and Registration: WateReuse: Arizona Symposium
South Atlantic Jubilee
July 25-27, 2026; Myrtle Beach, SC
Information and Registration: South Atlantic Jubilee
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!
