Several years ago farmers in California could rely on ditch water to aid in their irrigation supply. Tulare County farmer Jerry Silva, like many others around the state, has not had that luxury for some time.
Silva is having trouble with all of his wells, some of which are surging from being on the very top of the groundwater level. Many wells that are running dry around the state need drilling to go deeper or a whole new well entirely needs to be dug, something Silva thinks he can avoid.
Pump companies around the state are inundated with service calls. Some say they have cleared most of their emergency situations and are finally able to respond to other calls. Silva was able to get on a list some time ago, however he said he had trouble even beginning conversations with companies he has worked with in the past, and others have told him that new business calls are still on a long waiting list.