I was visiting with a pump contractor a few weeks ago and was interested to learn that his business has nearly doubled this year over last year. I asked why he thought it was doing so well; was it pent up demand after four years of a tough economy, the loss of a competitor or something else?
He is located in the Central Valley of California near Fresno, in an area where large groves of almond trees are replacing vineyards. He explained that young almond trees demand more water over a longer period of time than the mature grapevines they are replacing, which has caused the water table to drop. As a result, many of the private and municipal wells in the area are having to be upgraded with new pumps set at lower levels. All of this is a boon to the well drillers and pump installers in the area.