Perfect Equipment for PFAS Investigation

Circumstance led Jeff Grant to drilling in August 1990 when a good friend became a driller and asked him to work with him after he served in the military. Then in 2016, Grant struck out on his own with a 5410 and a focus on direct push services.

So when JG Drilling was selected by a consulting firm to drill multiple PFAS sites in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia, the prospect of expanding the company's capabilities made the purchase of a new 6712DT an easy decision to make.

“In order to complete the projects in a timely and cost-effective manner for my client, I knew I needed the power and versatility of the 6712DT,” Grant said.

Grant was excited to purchase a rig allowing him to keep GVWR under 26,000 lbs.

6712DT Power for PFAs Investigation

He’s been pleased with the power of the machine on such a light platform. Grant recently used his 6712DT to investigate sites where the environment has been impacted by PFAS. The consulting firm identified the main areas of concern, and then Grant collected soil and groundwater samples to determine the extent of contamination.

 “All the groundwater sampling equipment has to be clean and you’re constantly changing out gloves. You have to be very detail oriented and realize that many products we use or wear may have PFAS in it — you need to be very aware of cross contamination,” Grant said.

With the new 6712DT, Grant kept or exceeded scheduling expectations on each site.

“The winch and portable rod clamp have saved me so much time and effort. I may not use them on a daily basis but when you need them, they become invaluable,” Grant said. “With the track rig I can get into tight spaces I can’t reach with the truck, like wet areas and wooded areas. The rubber tracks allow me to use it on any surface.”

Not only did the 6712DT afford great success on each PFAS site, but it has also expanded service offerings for their direct push clients.

“The power on the machine has opened up a whole new market installing 2-inch prepack well screens. I can take on deeper, harder drilling projects and complete them quickly and cost efficiently,” Grant said. “I’m now drilling sites for my clients that I previously would not have been hired to drill because of the geological subsurface site conditions.”
    
Genuine Geoprobe^® Tooling Advantage 

For his work Grant relies on the longevity of Genuine Geoprobe^® tooling and groundwater sampling equipment, noting how far it has come from when he started in the mid-90s.

“Geoprobe^® tooling lasts longer than any other brand I have ever used,” Grant said. “They are always innovating and coming out with new products such as the DT22 detent drive head – it’s so much faster and easier.”
    
Southeast Service Center Assistance

When it comes to equipping his business, Grant knows he can depend on Geoprobe^® even when things don’t go quite right. The main feed ram cylinder was leaking on his 6712DT, requiring warranty work at the Southeast Service Center — a repair he was initially told would take a day and a half.

“I dropped it off Wednesday morning and they called at 11:30 a.m. that same day. Not only did they complete the warranty work, they diagnosed and found another issue with an O-ring to my hammer and resolved it as well,” Grant said. “They felt bad I was having problems with the machine and put everyone on it to solve the problem. They saved me time and money with travel and food costs, and not having an extra night in the hotel.”