WorldWide Drilling Resource

78 MAY 2013 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® In Memoriam John Albert Washburn (1934~2013) John Albert Washburn of Parma, Michigan, passed away January 24, 2013. He was 78. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army. John later owned and operated Washburn & Son Well Drilling, Inc. for over 20 years, and was an honorary member of the Michigan Ground Water Association. He was an avid hunter who dearly loved spending time with family. John was preceded in death by his wife Lois; and is survived by son Daniel, grandchildren, and extended family. The management and staff of WWDR offer their sympathies to John’s family and friends. Educate Your Customers Adapted from information provided by The Private Well Class Tired of dealing with customers who have no idea how to take care of their well or how a well works? Refer them to The PrivateWell Class, a free online course designed to help homeowners understand how to care for their water well. Using ten weekly lessons and monthly webinar training, private well owners learn the basics about water wells and more importantly, how to pro- tect their water source. Homeowners in small communities and rural areas without a public water supply often lack appropriate understand- ing of best practices for managing, oper- ating, and protecting their private well. By gaining basic knowledge of water wells and following best practices to maintain and protect a water well, your customer will know when to call you - the water well professional - for assistance. The class covers the following top- ics in a ten-part e-mail course: 0 Understanding how groundwater moves and gets into the well. 0 How water gets from the well to the faucet. 0 Basics of well construction. 0 How groundwater and wells get contaminated. 0 Common operations issues for well owners. 0 How to care for and maintain a well, pump, and infrastructure. 0 Water well testing and ensuring water is safe to drink. 0 Understanding test results and fixing water quality problems. 0 Understanding regulations. 0 What to do in an emergency or equipment failure. 0 Where to find help and get ques- tions answered locally. The class is funded by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Illinois State Water Survey and the Illinois Water Resources Center, at the University of Illinois, have collaboratively developed the curriculum for this pro- gram, under contract with RCAP. An informed customer can make your job easier!