Sue Luft knows first-hand about the problems that occur when a community’s well demands for water far exceed the amount of available water. The Paso Robles, Calif. vineyard owner has faced water shortages due to acutely stressed wells in her area and it has seriously impacted her livelihood.
“People have lost their wells due to too much demand for water and they’re paying a lot of money to have water trucked in,” Luft said. Although Luft Vineyards is preparing for getting a new well, in the meantime they’ve cut back on water use because of greater water restrictions. Considering that Luft grows wine grapes on four acres, substantial water restrictions negatively impact grape production and the company’s bottom line. Wanting to avoid these problems in the future, Luft signed up to be one of the first test sites for Wellintel’s new product that allows well owners to check the status of their wells.