"Very often, the need for immediate availability of water to irrigate fields leads the farmer to spare no expense. However, such an attitude, besides being somewhat outdated, is also no longer feasible at a time when production costs are already skyrocketing. A minimum of planning is therefore essential, as water emergencies and rainfall shortages are no longer new issues. Everyone is convinced that they can set up an artesian well within a week,” said Vincenzo Orso, a pilot at HydroHunter Italia, a company that conducts underground water research using innovative remotely piloted, fixed-wing, and multi-rotor aircraft systems, boasting a success rate of more than 90 percent.
Artesian wells are an effective solution to ensure irrigation of crops that are located in an area served by inefficient water networks. "However, before starting to drill," continued Orso, "it is advisable to know whether there are aquifers in the subsoil of the area involved that can bring good satisfaction and pay off the drilling expenses incurred.
Hydro Hunter Italia, based in Grosseto, Tuscany, usually sees a significant growth in inquiries starting in April, but in recent years the drought emergency caused by the significant lack of rainfall has generated an out-of-the ordinary interest.
"We advise our customers to anticipate the timing, so that they can better arrange with drilling companies as well, in case our scan indicates any qualifying quantities of water," continued the pilot.
"Just because winter is approaching, it doesn't mean that water shortages will stop. Persistent and long-lasting rainfall, that is, the kind that allows the soil to absorb water and replenish the water table, paved the way for damaging and unpredictable rainfall, the very rainfall that generates misfortunes we seem to be getting used to."
The Hydro Hunter method works through high-precision drones, including a special technological probe, which flies over the affected land surface, sending electromagnetic waves to the ground. "The drones are our working equipment, which we commission only after we have studied and geophysically analyzed the soil to assess the feasibility of finding water and avoid unnecessary disbursements."