It has been a very busy year. As your Executive Director and Executive Assistant we have finished one full cycle of association business and are steam-rolling into the second. This time of year finds the office busy getting dues notices out, Exhibitors packets out, preparing for Fundamentals/Technical Course in February, Convention in March and preparing this long overdue newsletter. Everyone has been watching their dollars this year and advertisers are no different. Due to financial constraints, it was decided to send out one pre-convention magazine and then smaller newsletters the rest of the year. The web-site is being re-designed and it should be on-line soon—check it out.
To help with MGWA finances, Lobbyist George Carr and I, both took a 10% wage cut. The board voted to no longer receive mileage reimbursement to director’s meetings. Do you realize that the only reimbursement your board gets is two nights stay at convention? All meetings they attend, the time the committees spend planning convention, shopping for giveaways, planning and presenting educational seminars, traveling and attending legislative meetings is all done with money out of their pockets and time away from their businesses. While revenues were down 2008-2009 by a little over $29,000, expenses were cut over $41,000 to help bridge that gap. As the only organization that is working to watch out for your livelihood, we can only continue to operate with your continued support.
The board felt it was important that Michigan was represented at the Nebraska Grout Study Report Release and Conference that was held Oct. 27-28, 2009 in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was asked to attend the study on your behalf and it proved to be very enlightening.
The two-year study of bentonite slurry grouts, completed in 2005, confirmed that sediment particle size and moisture content have the largest impact on the stability of these grouts. Dye test results from the Nebraska Grout Task Force (NGTF) expanded study indicated that hydro geologic conditions in southwest Nebraska had the worst impact on these grouts. This site is in the semi-arid climatic zone where the unsaturated zone sediments are dominated by silt-sized particles. Conditions at the central site had the least impact on bentonite slurry grout. The sediments there are mainly sand-sized particles and the area is in the sub-humid zone.
The Technical Team used the percentage of the unsaturated zone penetrated by dye to rate the performance of each grout, with the lowest percentage indicating the best performance. The results indicated that sand-cement and bentonite chip grouts performed the best with 24% and 27% respectively. Results for the other cement-based grouts were between 37% and 48%. The bentonite slurry with more than 20% solids and the geothermal grout with sand results were 65% and 67%. The bentonite slurry with 20 percent solids results indicated that 75% of the unsaturated zone was penetrated. These data suggest that bentonite slurry with less than 20 percent solids and geothermal grout without sand performed the worst with 86% and 87%, respectively. MGWA leadership, along with many states, is closely watching the results of this study.
The National Ground Water Association Convention was held Dec. 10-13, 2009, in New Orleans. In educational seminars and talking to many state leaders, something that I found being stressed is the importance of public awareness about private drinking wells and ways for us as contractors to do our part in providing education to that end. We’re fighting the clock on this important issue. However; AWWA and municipalities have been educating the public for years already, not about the safety and affordability of private wells – but gearing them for the cost of municipal water. Now Michigan has HB 5319 on the table that threatens to put all Michigan Ground Water in public trust. We can only stop this bill with your help so please contact your representative and oppose this small but very damaging bill.
The MGWA office is still receiving calls from members who are not aware of the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool. The WWAT was available online to the public for testing and comment since October 1, 2008. On July 9, 2009 the WWAT became fully implemented and its use is required for individuals proposing a large capacity withdrawal of 69.4 gal per minute or more. Property owners who intend to develop capacity to make a new or increased large quantity withdrawal must register prior to beginning the withdrawal. While it is the well owner’s responsibility to register for the withdrawal, you as a contractor have a responsibility to inform them of this requirement.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”—Calvin Coolidge
