Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 @ 03:48 PM
LAKOS Separators and Filtration Systems is committed to water conservation and ongoing education, and has just announced the winner of their annual water scholarship. The $1,000 Ben Everson Scholarship was awarded to Brian Duke, a student at California State University, Sacramento, where he is majoring in 
Government and Environmental Science. He plans to get his law degree and specialize in water management. The award is given in honor of Ben Everson, a long-time employee of LAKOS who personified the value of hard work, dedication, and a belief in the promise of America’s youth. A similar $1,000 Scholarship was awarded by Laval Underground Surveys to Travis Kern, a student at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming. Kern is majoring in Range Management and Ag Business and plans to go into a water conservation field when he graduates. Laval Underground Surveys is a maker of downhole video cameras, and like LAKOS is a division of the Claude Laval Corporation. Education Is The Key To Finding Tomorrow's SolutionsThe water and energy issues we face today are many, and it is only through considering different ideas, new technology, and effective planning that a workable solution will likely be found. Ongoing education is the key, and just as these students are planning additional studies in water related fields, so too should each water professional commit to continuous education and learning. Webinars and other online training from organizations concerned with the future of our water supplies are a great way to start.
Download Our FREE Webinar About Water Well HealthSand in water wells can cause damage to a submersible or turbine pump, reducing its efficiency until eventually it must be replaced. Pump protection using a centrifugal filter is one great way to prevent this from occuring. Watch our FREE webinar "Pumping Sand" and learn how this can be accomplished, saving both energy and water waste.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Aug 05, 2010 @ 04:29 PM
The idea of using centrifugal force to separate two elements of different densities has been around for many years. Despite the scientific explanation for centrifugal force and its real world applications in our lives, to some people it often sounds too good to be true. It is hard for some to believe that gravity and centrifugal action can be exploited in such ingenious devices that can work so efficiently and effectively. Such has been the case with the most recent application to appear in the headlines recently -- a centrifugal separator which might be able to help clean up the Deepwater Horizon gulf oil spill.
Not Just Movie Special Effects
A company co-owned by actor Kevin Costner has developed a centrifugal separator designed to remove crude oil from sea water, and centrifugal action is at the heart of the machine. The technology for the portable liquid separators was originally developed by national laboratories for defense purposes, but Costner and his business partners purchased the patent in 1990. Costner began working on ways to remove oil from water while working on his 1995 science fiction movie "Waterworld". British Petroleum has placed an order for some of the devices, in the hopes it can succeed where other techniques and products have failed.
Two Other Uses Of Centrifugal Separation 
In addition to Costner's Waterworld-inspired oil-from-water separator, centrifugal separators are used to solve a number of less-theatrical problems as well, including:
- Medical uses - centrifuges are devices used in laboratories to separate liquids from other liquids (such as blood) for testing.
- Solids-from-liquids centrifugal separators, used to remove sand, dirt, and other solids from water (as well as other liquids like cooking oil). LAKOS Separators are the leaders in this field, and are used in a variety of residential, water well, industrial, and heating/cooling applications.
LAKOS Centrifugal Separators
LAKOS centrifugal separators utilize the same fundamental forces of centrifugal action as Kevin Costner's device and medical centrifuges. Nearly forty years since gaining its first patent, LAKOS has been continuously innovating and improving upon this technology and the unique solutions it can provide. Liquid enters the LAKOS Separator at an angle, and internal slots accelerate the flow so that solids heavier than water are moved (through centrifugal force) to the outer wall of a separation chamber and drop to the bottom of the separator, while clean fluid exits the separator. This can be better explained by watching an animation or video of the solids being separated from the liquid.
Free Download - Independent Testing Proves Efficiency
Just how efficient is a LAKOS Centrifugal Separator at removing solids from liquids? Up to 98% percent efficient, according to independent 3rd party testing. Get the free results of this testing today !
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 01:48 PM
A reported 664 U.S. farms stopped irrigating acreage with groundwater in 2008, due to what owners said was a "shortage of groundwater". That was less than the 1,082 farms that made the same claims 5 years earlier. These are findings compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey and published in the July 2010 edition of the Water Well Journal magazine, a publication of the National Groundwater Association. 
Combined with data from the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture, the 2008 statistics reveal some interesting trends. These include:
- Of the 664 farms which said they had stopped irrigating, 87% were in either Idaho (273), Arizona (218), or South Carolina (88).
- About 26% of water wells used in 2008 were metered, up 61% from 2003.
- 62% of all irrigation wells in use had some type of backflow prevention device installed, an increase of 18%.
- No data was available regarding the use of irrigation filters or water well filtration systems, such as those used to prolong the life of a submersible or turbine pumps in a sandy well.
- The average depth of an irrigation well (243 feet) was just 2% deeper than 2003, and leading the way was Arizona (521 feet).
- Arizona was also third in longest hours of water well pump operation (2003 hours, down 33%) behind Nevada (2574 hours) and Connecticut (2383).
- The top 5 states with the largest number of wells in use for irrigation purposes were Texas (77,389), Nebraska (77,347), California (61,192), Arkansas (38,729), and Kansas (19,301).
- Among those top 5 states, California had the deepest average well depth (380 feet, but 123 feet to water level) and Arkansas had the shallowest (125 feet, but just 47 feet to water level).
- The most popular crops harvested among all those irrigated with groundwater were corn (over 10 million acres), soybeans (6.4 million acres), and cotton/wheat (each with 2.7 million acres).
- The crops with the greatest INCREASE of acres using groundwater for irrigation were vegetables (72%) and berries (61%).
- The crops with the greatest DECREASE of acres were tobacco (71% drop) and sugar beets (39%).
The growth of biofuels and its perceived potential in 2008 (the year the study was conducted), combined with the fact most ethanol production is derived from corn starch appears to have had significant impact on the use of groundwater to irrigate corn crops in some states.
More Water Well And Irrigation Information
For more information about this and other groundwater or irrigation facts and figures, visit the National Groundwater Association or Irrigation Association websites.
Water Well Filtration Information
No matter how deep the well, or the crop being irrigated, sand can enter the system and wreak havoc with an irrigation system. This can occur in the well itself or other source water supply, and can not only shorten the life of a pump and lower efficiencies, but can also plug drip emitters and cause crop damage. For more information about keeping water well pumps operating at their best efficiency in sandy well situations, download the LAKOS SUB-K Pump Protection brochure (for wells pumping up to 100 US gpm) or PPS Pump Protection Brochure (for turbine pumps and submersibles pumping more than 100 US gpm).
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Jun 24, 2010 @ 09:30 AM
There is just one week left until the July 1st deadline to a
pply for the Ben Everson Scholarships. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to students that are planning on or already pursuing a college career with some specific focus on water.
The scholarships are co-sponsored by LAKOS Filtration Systems and Laval Underground Surveys, who will each select a winner of $1,000 towards a college education. 
The scholarships are named after a long-term employee with both companies who treasured education and appreciated the value of efficient water use. The winning applicants will be the offspring of someone in the groundwater industry, and can be either a high school senior or already enrolled in a college or university.
Think of all the ways in which breakthroughs in water technology and innovations could help our world cope with scarce water supplies. Breakthroughs like:
- An attachment to a submersible (or turbine) water well pump that prevents sand from entering the pump and thereby protects the impellers and other pump components from premature failure
Deadline To Apply Is July 1st --> Get The Application TODAY
Download the Fall 2010 Scholarship application today, or pass it along to someone you know! Be sure to fill out the application and email it quickly! The deadline is approaching fast .
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, May 13, 2010 @ 12:36 PM
Water conservation and water quality are growing in importance each day. Study and research to find new and better methods regarding its' use are being practiced in colleges and universities around the world. Through scientific methods and 
experimentation, breakthroughs in water technology are helping us make more efficient use of every last drop of this precious resource. Innovative sand media tank filter design, pump protection against sand in water wells, and advances in underground water well photography are just three examples. Many schools offer curriculum focused on water, and some private organizations offer scholarships to encourage students to make this their main field of study.
LAKOS and
Laval Underground Surveys are co-sponsors of the Annual
Ben Everson Scholarships. Each company awards a $1,000 scholarship to college-bound students who come from a
groundwater background and who plan to focus on water related studies. Ben Everson was a long-time employee at both companies, and had both a passion for efficient water use and a commitment to lifelong learning and encouraging young people. These scholarships aim to REWARD and ENCOURAGE the study of
water conservation, water technology, and Best Practices in the field of water resources.
Scholarship Eligibility
Students who are offspring of someone in the groundwater industry and are pursuing a degree in a water related field are eligible for the scholarships. The student may be either a high school senior or already enrolled in a college or university. A brief essay is required of all applicants. All entries must be received by July 1, 2010. The winners will be announced on August 1, 2010.
Can you think of someone who fits this description? A student who could use $1,000 towards their college expenses? Perhaps the person you suggest might go on to invent the world's best water well filtration system!
Deadline To Apply: July 1st --> Get the Application TODAY
Download the
Fall 2010 Scholarship application today, and pass it along to someone you know! The deadline to apply is July 1st. Fill out the application and email it today!
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Apr 29, 2010 @ 02:10 PM
It's one version of the American dream: To find the perfect spot of land, far from the noise, traffic, and pollution of city living and build a home.
But man does not live on land alone, so if you want to be able to drink fresh water, wash dishes, flush toilets, etc. you're probably going to have to drill a well. People drill wells all the time, so you have to assume the water must be safe, right?
Think again. If you are under the assumption that purchasing a plot of land and contracting with a builder to construct your home and install a well in any way guarantees your family an endless supply of safe drinking water, you might want to rethink those ideas.
Well contamination is common -- in the U.S. and abroad. And it doesn't matter how old your well is. According to David Hanson, owner of Design Water Technologies, a well servicing company in Shorewood, Minnesota, 95% of the wells his company treats for iron bacteria are less than four years old! An April 2010 article in Water Well Journal advises that homeowners should test annually for well contaminants including coliform bacteria, nitrates and nitrites, radon and even arsenic.
Here are just a few of the contamination stories that made headlines in the U.S. this year.
- Morrison, Wisconsin. More than 100 wells were polluted by agricultural runoff allowing the seepage of parasites and bacteria into drinking water and causing residents to suffer chronic diarrhea, stomach illnesses and severe ear infections.
- Batavia, New York. More than a dozen residential wells were contaminated as a result of manure spread on nearby fields.
- Chardon, Ohio. Private wells contaminated with unsafe levels of Chloride that came from road salt stored and handled nearby at the township's road maintenance facility.
- Stamford, Connecticut. Residential wells tested positive for unsafe levels of contaminants, including banned pesticides from the '70's, in the soil under Scofield Park in northern Stamford.
Lack Of Standards For Private Water Wells
"People have this sort of impression that somebody is doing something to protect their water, or that their water is safe," said Sarah Pillsbury, administrator of the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. "That's not always the case."
The fact is, there are no established standards for water quantity or quality for private water wells in most states. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, EPA regulations that protect public drinking water systems do not apply to privately owned wells. In short, well owners are on their own for ensuring that their water is safe from contaminants. For this reason, experts recommend that homeowners have their wells tested at least once a year - particularly for coliform bacteria. If there is concern for more toxic substances, more detailed -- and expensive -- testing can be done.
LAKOS can't help with toxic well contamination. However, if particulate and solids are a problem -- such as excessive sand and sediment -- the company has many solutions for a common, yet costly well problem.
Water Well Filtration Systems Prevents Sand Damage
According to the Water Well Journal, sand in water wells is a "pump killer," because it pits and scars impellers, bearings and other internal parts of the pump. This wears down surface areas and causes a loss of efficiency and ultimately pump failure, not to mention plugging inlet screens to appliances and showers, a situation that John Brewer of Clovis, California is all too familiar with. A LAKOS Pump Protection Separator proved a relatively quick and simple solution for Mr. Brewer's well sand problems.
A LAKOS filtration system can save a homeowner thousands of dollars in repairs for pumps, sprinklers, and appliances. That's one less rude awakening from your American Dream.
FREE Webinar Titled "Pumping Sand"
Are you curious about how sand damage can be prevented in water wells? Want to learn how easily this problem can be corrected and prevented?
Our free webinar titled "Pumping Sand" covers the benefits of a LAKOS water well sand protection system. Watch it today and learn how a sand-free water system can be part of your daily living.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 02:00 PM
This week marked the Opening Day of the Major League baseball season, which means Spring is here and it's also time to:
- Get the drill rig ready for dry ground and drier wells, as winter weather gives way to warmer days ahead.
For each of these rites of Spring, the role of rainfall, water management, and filtration can be hugely important in deciding the final outcome.
In baseball, rainouts can lead to unwanted doubleheaders and the need for a good 5th starter and deep bench. In the dog days of August and September, this can make the difference between a division championship or missing the playoffs completely. Will the Yankees repeat? New York rainfall might make the difference.
In golf, rain can cause a course to play longer than usual and will more heavily favor those who can drive the ball the furthest. If the course is properly designed with an effective drainage and filtration system, standing water and its effects on the final outcome are negligible. Will Tiger Woods win his 5th Masters Tournament? The superior drainage system at Augusta National Golf Course might be a deciding factor.
For well drillers, rainfall and water management make a huge difference in the condition of the underground aquifer, water tables, and the need to drill new or deeper wells. This is true for water wells in the U.S., well drillers in Europe, and others around the world. For example, the worst drought in decades has hit southern China, and over a thousand new water wells are planned for the Yunnan province alone.
But it's not just about MORE water these days, its also about CLEAN water, and water prepared and filtered for its intended use (for drinking, irrigation, etc) with as little water waste and energy usage as possible. There is a concern for the total water life cycle and the environment as a whole.
National Environmental Education Week April 11-17
On Sunday, the same day a new Masters golf champion slips on the Green Jacket, National Environmental Education Week will begin. In schools across America, children will be taught their regular curriculum, but with a special focus on caring for the environment and making the best use of the earth's dwindling resources -- resources like clean water. Perhaps they'll play with a cool kids water usage calculator, which will show them how to save water at home.
Two water saving ideas the kids probably WON'T hear about in school next week include:
- Keeping sand damage from reducing the efficiency of water-related appliances inside the home. Proper filtration can meet this challenge and make the world "greener" at the same time.
- Preventing sand damage to submersible pumps in water wells. LAKOS has an answer for this as well, by keeping the sand from ever reaching the pump's impellers and other components.
Want to learn more? Download our submersible pump filtration brochure. You can read it while watching baseball and the Masters tournament this weekend. And at the same time, take a moment to consider the role of water in deciding the outcome of those events.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Mar 11, 2010 @ 01:40 PM
The tools and equipment for a successful farming operation have always changed with the times. Fields once cultivated with a horse and plow are now handled by air-conditioned tractors in many areas. Hand written accounting systems are now processed by computers. Plans for the placement of irrigation systems were once scratched in the dirt or on paper, and now they may use GPS and field-mapping software for proper design. It should be no surprise to find that farmers have embraced the Internet for news and information gathering, as well as this relatively new tool called "social media."
CNN reports that a 2007 census by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows 
high-speed Internet access doubled on U.S. farms between 2005 and 2007, jumping from 13 percent to 27 percent. That is still less than the general U.S. population, but it's growing faster. According to government statistics, 55 percent of U.S. farms had Internet access in 2007 compared with 62 percent of homes in the U.S. overall. And social media activities are growing quickly in popularity as a communications and marketing tool. A recent American Farm Bureau Federation survey (pg.4) of farmers and ranchers ages 18-35 indicates that among the 92 percent who use computers, 46 percent regularly use social media.
Social Media Defined
Social media can be defined as "social interaction and communication through web-based techniques and media." It includes Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs, and many others. While Facebook is the fastest growing website in terms of total visitors, having recently passed Yahoo at #3 overall (behind only Google and Microsoft), the mobile nature of today's farmer seems to have made Twitter their most preferred social media tool. Farmers, like the small group in California, use their smart phones to make Twitter entries throughout the day. They use Twitter to answer questions and break stereotypes of what life is really like on a farm, and the daily challenges of today's farmer.
Websites serving the agribusiness community like AgWired are utilizing social media tools to extend their reach and provide more timely information to its followers. The United States Department of Agriculture even has a separate section of its website dedicated to Social Media and Resources and a very active Twitter account (@USDAgov). Others are using social media to raise the level of awareness of farm issues to the general population. In 2009, Mike Haley, who raises crops and purebred Simmental cattle near West Salem, OH, demonstrated the power of Twitter for farmers. To raise awareness and support of America's dairy families, he asked everyone who uses Twitter to create "tweets" using the keyword #moo on a certain day (in Twitter lingo, the # sign preceding a phrase is known as a "hash tag"). Word of this request spread among farmers and Twitter users. For that particular day, the keyword #moo became one of the most popular terms on Twitter -- on a day when 15 million tweets were made.
How Is It Used?
So besides debunking farm myths and raising awareness of farm issues, what is everyone Tweeting and Facebooking about? Some of it is just about farm life, and the daily challenges of that profession. Some of it is problem solving, and requesting input from others regarding how to handle certain situations. Such as those asked at the AgTalkForum, a moderated forum covering questions and answers on a variety of farm topics, claiming to have over 14,000 registered users. There are questions about using computers on the farm, including opinions from end users regarding which farm management software program might be the most appropriate. There is also a section on "Crop Talk" where visitors can share techniques about planting or fertilizing or irrigation equipment, like sand media tanks. Or ask questions like "If I have sand in my water well, how do I prevent it from damaging my submersible or turbine pumps that irrigate my crops?"
What about you? Do you see other ways social media and the Internet can improve life on the farm? Leave us your thoughts in the Comments area below.
Or why not jump a bit deeper into social media yourself! Just click on the icons on this page to follow LAKOS on Twitter, Facebook, or by subscribing to our RSS feed.
Social media is here, and it's time to get on board.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Mar 04, 2010 @ 02:12 PM
There is a long way to go in the efforts to make the best use of water -- one of our most precious resources. Education about how water is presently used is a key first step. Knowing exactly how much water is used for a given process and what the alternative methods might be is the focus of many water studies conducted over the past few years. But even with that knowledge, there are still conflicting interests in many cities, companies, and individuals.
Even in a water-conscious state like California, there are conflicting priorities. The CBS television show "60 Minutes" recently produced several segments about the drought in California and the nation's dwindling water supplies, pointing out the fact that Americans average using 150 gallons of water per day, compared to the 40 gallons of water per day used in the U.K. and 13 gallons per day used in some of the worlds poorest countries. Yet the message has not been completely received by some. And an unusually wet winter in California and across the U.S. seems to have slowed some of the focus on conservation, as hopes rise higher the drought will end soon.
Take the area of Southern California. A major metropolitan region built in a desert. But through water supplies obtained from outside the region, it is able to support a growing population with a high standard of living. Yet water conservation does not always appear to be the highest priority among its residents. Particularly in the city of Orange, California, where city laws require at least 40% of homeowner yards to be covered with some sort of growing vegetation. One particular family in Orange claims to have reduced their annual water usage from about 300,000 gallons in 2007 to less than 60,000 in 2009 through creative landscaping, yet are being sued by the city for the lack of live plants and ground cover in their yard. Water conservation does not appear to be as important as other factors in Orange.
In other parts of the world like Punjab, India, the costs to convert from traditional flood irrigation methods to more water-saving methods is a real challenge. Sprinkler irrigation has been growing approximately 25% a year since the 1980s. Thanks to government subsidies, drip irrigation is growing rapidly as well. Replacing flood irrigation with either sprinklers or drip has huge water conservation benefits for everyone. And making the most of every drop is something that deserves more of our attention.
Filtration -- when installed properly and with the right solution for a given situation -- can be an extremely effective way to conserve water. Whether it be:
Effective filtration can stretch a drop or gallon of water further, and typically with reduced energy consumption as well.
How about large industrial companies, which use water for a variety of processes? A company which makes steel shelving units now uses high pressure nozzles and a LAKOS Separator to clean the finished product and remove cast iron particles. Similar to the way a system can be installed to keep a cooling tower basin clean, this system reduces wastewater and minimizes overall water usage.
Want to learn more? Download our Parts Washing Case Study.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Feb 04, 2010 @ 02:07 PM
The world's largest agricultural equipment exposition opens next week in the heart of California (Tulare), a battleground for water rights. World Ag Expo -- formerly known as the Tulare Farm Show -- will feature many products and varied opinions claiming to be the best way to make the most efficient use of water. As the
demand for water tightens due to population growth and other factors, the challenge to determine the wisest use of that water gets even more difficult. Not just in California, but everywhere.
Everyone appears to be getting into the water conservation movement, from homeowners to farmers, who have always considered water a vital and precious resource. Agricultural use of water is immense, and in the United States the use of water for irrigation is the single largest use in the non-commercial and non-residential sectors. Farm equipment and machinery used to aid in conserving water while still maximizing crop yield can be a big part of the long-term solution. This includes a water handling and delivery system consisting of pumps, irrigation systems, and a combination of filtration techniques and systems to keep everything else operating at its highest efficiency.
Two of the most common water problems on the farm which can be easily fixed with an effective filtration system include:
Each of these -- if not corrected or prevented -- will lead to water waste and higher energy usage, as the pumps and valves and other components of the water system are adversely affected by the sand and other solids.
But there are solutions. Solutions to prevent any short-term or long-term drop in water efficiency.
Want to learn more? Download our Water Well Sand Prevention Brochure and read how to keep sand in a water well from damaging your pumps. And see how you can save water and energy at the same time.