Thad Plumley

Westerville

Director of Publications at Water Well Journal

Director of Publications at Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation

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Articles

Nippon’s deal with U.S. Steel will impact groundwater professionals

6 days ago | waterwelljournal.com | Thad Plumley

Nippon Steel Corp. completed its strategic $14 billion partnership with U.S. Steel on June 18, 2025, marking one of the most significant consolidations in modern American steel history. The deal transforms U.S. Steel into a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon, while maintaining its iconic name, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania headquarters, and honoring existing labor arrangements.
NGWA mourns loss of long-time member

1 week ago | waterwelljournal.com | Thad Plumley

Gary Burchard, a long-time member of the National Ground Water Association, passed away on June 11. He was 63. Burchard was a hydrogeologist with LRE Water in Tucson, Arizona, and worked as a water professional in the state for 40 years. He worked outside of Arizona later in his career as well, developing water supplies in Texas and working on California’s largest injection well-field program.
Critical Customer Service

2 months ago | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Business Management, Editor's Note, Editor’s NoteBy Thad PlumleyAs my wife and I approached the registration area for an event blanketing the main floor of a hotel, the worker smiled and asked if we were picking up our registration materials. Claudia said no and explained we were just there for the day and wanted to buy one-day passes. The worker seemed surprised. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry,” she said. “We don’t have those.
Having a Career and Not a Job

Mar 19, 2025 | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Business Management, Editor's Note, Editor’s Note, Workforce DevelopmentBy Thad PlumleyAs I began to tour the office of a water well drilling company, I noticed a certificate perched on a shelf of one of the first employees I met. It was honoring the person’s five years of service to the company. I chatted with the obviously proud employee and thought what a nice and smart touch by the firm. Easy to do, and it obviously made this person feel special. A win-win.
Focusing on a Clear Path

Feb 18, 2025 | waterwelljournal.com | Editor’s Note |Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Editor's Note, Editor’s Note, SafetyBy Thad PlumleyDid you get run over by a car? Your shirt looks like it has tread marks on it,” my dad exclaimed as I walked into his house on a frigid day this winter. I looked down. There was dirt on my shirt, and wow, it did oddly resemble the grooves of a tire tread. Brushing the dirt and clever one-liner aside, I explained I had fallen on a patch of black ice as I got out of my car minutes earlier with my chest and arms absorbing the impact.
All About Teamwork

Jan 20, 2025 | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Business Management, Editor's Note, Editor’s Note, Workforce DevelopmentBy Thad PlumleyA friend of mine always asks in job interviews for a position at his company, “Have you ever been a part of a team, and if so, tell me what you got out of it.”Turns out it doesn’t matter if the person was an all-league performer—in fact, it doesn’t matter if the interviewee was an athlete at all. The team could be the boy scouts, the school orchestra, or even the yearbook staff.
Working in an Extreme World

Nov 20, 2024 | waterwelljournal.com | Editor’s Note |Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Editor's Note, Editor’s Note, SafetyBy Thad PlumleyThe weather report on the television news when I was growing up was the boring part of the show; the section you skipped while you ran to the kitchen for more dessert. But have you noticed some of the recent headlines produced by the weather around the country? They’re seemingly out of a science fiction movie.
Articles and Photos of the Year

Nov 20, 2024 | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Drilling, Features, National Ground Water Association, Pumps and Water Systems, SafetyBy Thad PlumleyWhen the updated website for Water Well Journal debuted earlier this year, among the new features that rolled out was an area simply titled “Popular.”A short scroll down on the right side of the site at WaterWellJournal.com, it is a listing of the articles that have been viewed the most in the last 30 days. It is much more than that, though.
The Biggest Strain on Your Business

Sep 19, 2024 | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Business Management, Editor's Note, Editor’s Note, Workforce DevelopmentBy Thad PlumleyI hate to say this, but being a manager or business owner in the groundwater industry is not going to get any easier. The biggest strain for you right now—regardless of whatever your business does—is finding talented people to fill open positions.
One Final Lesson

Aug 15, 2024 | waterwelljournal.com | Mike Price |Thad Plumley

Categories: Business Management, Editor's Note, Editor’s NoteBy Thad PlumleyMy wife Claudia got a call from the minister of our church saying someone had been in a Sunday School room and found a Bible with my father-in-law’s name on the cover. Knowing Fred passed away recently, the minister asked if we wanted it. Claudia said yes, thinking it would be neat to have a Bible that Fred used when teaching Sunday School to young people.