Smith-Comeskey Ground Water Science (Ground Water Science) has provided hydrogeologic, groundwater quality, and well performance services to water suppliers, well rehabilitation and maintenance assistance, and a broad range of support and technical training services to the groundwater industry in the U.S. and internationally since 1983. We remain independent and unfettered by corporate takeover and devoted to our craft first of all.

hydrogeology and wellfield planning
well troubleshooting, maintenance and rehabilitation and microbiology
qualifications of the partners
some of our publications
some of our project work

Currently focused in Ohio and nearby parts of Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan, Ground Water Science conducts water supply well and wellfield hydrogeologic and geophysical testing and contaminant source and delineation studies for private and public water supply clients, conducts wellhead protection area (WHPA - or ground water SWAP) delineations and writes wellhead protection plans for public water supplies. The testing and the planning are inseparable. We're passionate about good information, which you need to do effective planning.

We are among the most experienced in WHPA (ground water SWAP) delineation in Ohio -- and an early effort was an AWWA Award Winner (1997). We work very hard to give our clients the very best delineations possible at a reasonable cost -- and delineation models that can have multiple uses, such as for wellfield planning. These are not just ovals on a GIS map to fulfill the mandate - these are live tools you can use. We have presented papers on that topic starting at the Ohio Section AWWA in 1997.

We are set up to cost-effectively provide detailed modeling (U.S.G.S. MODFLOW and MODPATH) or more local analytical studies of the aquifer (including fracture flow) to define the wellfield capture areas used to properly define the WHPA -- or where your next water will be coming from. More importantly -- we find the best available hydrogeologic information, without which any analysis or model is useless. We provide models and analyses that go beyond wellhead or regulatory requirements -- We provide powerful ground water management tools and information you can use down the road. We have a well-matched team to provide modeling, field hydro expertise, and associated services such as geophysics. We have an excellent track record in WHPA delineation in Ohio in a variety of hydrogeologic settings. And the PARTNERS still LOVE to do their own well pumping tests.

Wellhead protection is not a video game and other reasons to do good hydrogeology... 

Finding out what's causing problems with wells and helping you keep it under control to make wells fully useful again. We consult, test for problems of all kinds, provide specifications, provide follow up, work with your contractors, or (with our well service colleagues) can provide full-color downhole TV and full rehabilitation services -- even on hazardous sites. So we can help support your team or provide turn-key problem analysis and solutions. We even literally helped write the books on the subject (and we aren't done yet).

Our expertise in well biofouling, well maintenance and rehabilitation is recognized and sought out across North America and overseas. We have conducted significant research and helped to solve problems with everything from small dewatering sand point systems to 1000-m rock wells and multi-1000s gpm alluvial wells (but mostly in-between), both in the U.S. and internationally. In "Latin" America, we work through our Argentina associates, led by Andrea Gariboglio and Laboratorio MAG, with full Spanish and Portuguese capabilities, and welcome collaboration worldwide. Browse through our detailed well maintenance and well rehabilitation information and services area. Check out our paper presented to the Indiana Section AWWA. Other papers have been presented at various venues, such as the Ohio Section AWWA and the National Ground Water Association. 

Testing for and correcting sources of contamination by foreign bacteria in wells, microbes as sources of well problems and water quality change, and biological water treatment and bioremediation and biofouling possibilities for sites, wells and water systems. We figure out why wells have microbiological problems and make recommendations for solutions. We specialize in biofouling analysis, using the most modern methods. 

Stuart Smith, certified consulting hydrogeologist (NGWA CGWP, Ky. RG ) and ground-water microbiologist (BA, Wittenberg University, MS, The Ohio State University), has been conducting research in and consulting on well microbial problems, and well M&R since right after he started at the National Water Well Association in 1979. Since 1983, he has been an independent consultant, supervising both research and consulting projects. He has also taught ground water science and technology at Wright State University, and developed modules of their IRIS hydrogeology training program (see links). He has also taught biological courses and advised hydrogeological engineering projects at Ohio Northern University in Ohio as schedule permits. Mr. Smith has spoken on well M&R topics around North America, and in England, Australia, and Argentina. He is the author or co-author of over 130 manuals, articles and papers published in trade press and journals. A selected list provided. 

Manuals and Texts (also papers and chapters)

• Smith, S.A. et al. 1982. Ground Water Hydrology for Water Well Contractors. National Water Well (Ground Water) Association, 286 pp.
• Smith, S.A. 1989. Manual of Hydraulic Fracturing for Well Stimulation and Geologic Studies. National Water Well Association, Dublin, OH, 66 pp.
• Eggington, H.F., et al. (including S.A. Smith). 1992. Australian Drilling Manual. (Principal editor: author of environmental drilling, water well construction, and well maintenance/rehabilitation sections.) Australian Drilling Industry Training Comm., North Ryde, NSW.
• Smith, S.A. 1992. Methods for Monitoring Iron and Manganese Biofouling in Water Wells. AWWA Research Foundation, Denver, CO, 96 pp.
• Borch, M.A., S.A. Smith, and L.N. Noble. 1993. Evaluation and Restoration of Water Supply Wells. NGWA for AWWA Research Foundation, Denver, CO, 270 pp.
• Gariboglio, M.A. and S.A. Smith. 1993. Corrosión e incrustación microbiológia en sistemas de captación y conducción de agua: aspectos teóricos y aplicados. Serie Investigaciones Aplicadas, Argentine Consejo Federal de Inversiones, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 99 pp..
• Smith, S.A. 1994. Well and Borehole Sealing: Importance, Materials, Methods and Recommendations for Decommissioning. Ground Water Publishing Co., Dublin, OH, 69 pp.
• Smith, S.A. 1995. Monitoring and Remediation Wells: Problem Prevention, Maintenance and Rehabilitation, CRC Press Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL.
• Australian Drilling Industry Training Committee (including S.A. Smith). 1997. Drilling: The Manual of Methods, Applications and Management. (Co-editor: author of environmental drilling, water well construction, and well maintenance/rehabilitation sections.) CRC Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL (successor to the 1992 ADM).
• Manual of Water Well Construction Practices (S.A. Smith editor and principal author). NGWA.
• Alford, G., S.A. Smith and R.L. Leach. 2000. Engineering and Design - Operation and Maintenance of Extraction and Injection Wells at HTRW Sites, EP 1110-1-27, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• Groundwater Committee. 2003. Groundwater Manual 21, AWWA. Smith developed the well maintenance and rehabilitation material.           
  

• Comeskey, A.E. and J. Reiten, 1982. Ground-Water Resources of the Surrey Area, Ward County, North Dakota, North Dakota Ground-Water study No. 87, North Dakota State Water Commission (see our Links), Bismarck, ND.
• Comeskey, A.E., 1988. Hydrogeology of the Lost Lake Aquifer System in the Wilton-Washburn Area, McClean County, North Dakota, North Dakota Ground-Water study No. 93, North Dakota State Water Commission, Bismarck, ND.
• Smith, S.A. 1990. Well maintenance and rehabilitation in North America: an overview, pp. 8-15, Pelzer, R. and S.A. Smith. Eucastream suction flow control device: an element for optimization of flow conditions in wells (with R. Pelzer), pp. 209-216. in: Water Wells: Monitoring, Maintenance, Rehabilitation (Proc. of International Groundwater Engineering Conference, Cranfield Institute of Technology (see our Links), Cranfield, E&FN Spon, London, UK.
• Smith, S.A. 1992. (1) Groundwater pollution and monitoring - the North American experience, (2) Construction and sampling of groundwater monitoring bores, (3) New developments in water well restoration.
• (Invited papers.) in: Proc. Drill '92, Conference of the Australian Drilling Industry Assn., Perth, W.A., October 1992. West Australia Branch, ADIA, Fremantle, W.A., Australia.
• Tuhela, L., S.A. Smith, and O.H. Tuovinen. 1993. Microbiological analysis of iron-related biofouling in water wells and a flow-cell apparatus for field and laboratory investigations. Ground Water 31(6):982-988.
• Comeskey, A.E. and P.J. Gerla, 1993. Estimation of Wetland Water Budget: Agnes Marsh, Agronomy Abstracts, American Soc. of Agronomy.
• Smith, S.A. 1994. Monitoreo del mantenimiento preventivo, y metodos de tratamiento para control del bioensuciamiento en pozos y sistemas de agua: progresos recientes en america del norte. Proc. Conference del XV Congreso Nacional del Agua, La Plata, Argentina (4/94). See an English excerpt.
• Clancy, J.L. and S.A. Smith. 1995. Iron bacteria, Chapter 2. In: Problem Organisms in Water: Identification and Treatment. American Water Works Assn.
• Smith, S.A. 1996. Monitoring biofouling in source and treated waters: status of available methods and recommendations for standard guide. Sampling Environmental Media, ASTM STP 1282, J.H. Morgan, Ed., American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, pp. 158-175.
• Smith, S.A. Well Construction, maintenance and abandonment: How they help in preventing contamination. pp. 115-126, Under the Microscope: Examining Microbes in Groundwater, Proc. Groundwater Foundation's 1996 Fall Symposium. AWWA and Groundwater Foundation.
• S.A. Smith (et al.). Standard guide for maintenance and rehabilitation of ground-water monitoring wells, D5978-96. ASTM.
• Smith, S.A. 1999. Source water quality management: Groundwater, Chapter 4a. In: Water Quality and Treatment, 5th Ed., McGraw-Hill and American Water Works Assn.
•  Smith, S.A. and A.E. Comeskey, 2001. Field documentation of improvements in well performance using innovative rehabilitation methods, in: Bridging the Gap, Proc. of the World Water and Environmental Resources Conference, May 2001, Orlando, FL, ASCE, Reston, VA.  
  
• Smith, S.A., Chapter 9, Well maintenance, Well Hydraulics Manual, ASCE, in production.
  

As we add staff with their own independent credentials, you'll see them here. For independent guys, we're also team builders. We work interactively with engineering and other professional firms, academic professionals, and drilling contractors in performing our services. Including ARCC Inc. on Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation and other well cleaning projects, and engineering firms such as Greeley & Hansen and Fanning/Howey on water supply projects. In Argentina, we work with our associates, Laboratorio MAG, LaPlata. How about you and yours? 

A more specific list is available here

Locations of Public Water Supply and Remediation System Projects
Municipal, manufactured home community, and private (including environmental remediation) systems in all areas of Ohio, and communities and environmental sites in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Maryland, North Dakota, New York, Connecticut, California, Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona, and also in Australia, Argentina, and North Africa. 

We have done the ground water supply pumping test analyses, numerous sites; and supervised new well plans and well upgrades, village public water supplies, aquifer contaminant studies for public supplies; studies for wellfield planning, wetlands water budgets, and regional ground water studies (southern and western Ohio, southern Michigan, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Argentina).

Wellhead Protection Area studies and wellhead protection plan development and Groundwater Guardian designation are fully completed for several Ohio communities. WHPA delineations are completed for communities in Ohio and Indiana. All involve geological analysis, planning and executing capture area and time-of-travel modeling, and assistance with WHPP submittal. One of our complete wellhead protection plans endorsed by the Ohio EPA, was awarded the Ohio AWWA Exemplary Wellhead Protection Plan in the small community division for 1997 (joining Middletown and Dayton -- good company!).

Also we have diagnosed encrustation problems in groundwater-source heat exchanger systems and water well microbiological and chemical water quality problems for a food processing plant, animal testing research facility, and numerous private wells, conducted biofouling consulting for well screen manufacturer clients; provided on site testing, research and review and testimony on technical facts pertaining to the biofouling and biocorrosion of water and dewatering wells and treatment equipment (several clients from a number of U.S. states and 3 other countries); analyzed and made recommendations for biofouled recovery wells and recommendations to prevent further problems.

Provided analysis and recommendations reports and well rehabilitation proposal strategies and specification language, Fe and Mn-encrusted wells in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Australia, and Argentina; sulfur "slimed" wells, Pennsylvania and Ohio; remediation well system maintenance plans, engineering firms for Michigan and New Hampshire sites; biofouling analysis and rehabilitation assessment, 3000-ft well contaminated during stimulation in Wyoming, and microbial corrosion assessments, multiple 300-m wells in North Africa (U.S.-Brazilian clients), and Caribbean water treatment plants, and well disinfection (North Carolina and nationally). 

National Ground Water Association (AGWSE) (SDWA, Ground Water Disinfection Rule, and Well disinfection Task Forces, Microbial Interest Group); International Association for Hydrology; American Institute of Professional Geologists; American Water Works Association (Groundwater Committee, Ohio Section and Section Small Systems Development and Water for People Committees); Standard Methods joint technical group for Section 9240, Iron and Sulfur Bacteria; American Society for Testing and Materials (Subcommittee D18.21 on ground water investigations); American Water Resources Association; Ohio Water Well Association. See our Related Links page for some contacts.