High tech mining technology used to help drought-stricken farmers find valuable water | Landline

The value of water on farms can't be under-estimated, but across Australia, too often there's simply not enough.
Despite technology transforming agriculture, the way we search for underground water can be pretty old fashioned.
But Landline's Courtney Wilson has found a company that could change that.
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[@davidbell1676]

When the groundwater runs out then what?

[@sydneysimon4999]

If your interested please watch the national geographic about the one man who created a forest in his lifetime with his property. He grew easy to adapt native and non-native species that needed very little water to start and used his native grasses to act as an absorber of water for a surface table of water. Worked to build the food desert, to grassland, to scrub land, to actually creating water this way! If it's extremely expensive, risky, and un-natural to suck up whatever we have left by fracking, why not try better and more sustainable alternatives while simultaneously helping other parts of mother nature? Our indigenous roots survived this way and it worked wonders.

[@bigears4426]

I had a driller come to my property, he looked at the flattest area and said this is a good spot , and showed me some bores on a map which were 30km from my area , he is a major driller in tas and the only thing he wants is money whether he finds water or not

[@importanttingwei7747]

reverse osmosis from sea water?

[@jup6401]

At least efforts are being made, thank you very much for keeping this great country going, you’s and all involved are very much appreciated.

[@Xel_Naga]

I do worry this is not a sustainable method. I do however like the development of this more reliable method of finding water though over TWO STICKS? and anything using GIS techniques is cool AF.

[@user-qg5vv4iu4p]

Plant trees all around the dams to help with evaporation, also like evaporation blankets slightly smaller then ypir dam for livestock to still access

[@grahammewburn]

Good news!

[@LureThosePixels]

Wait... I don't think we should be taking so much of this ground water

[@umer1185]

Why don't they desalinate the sea water and supply it??

[@bigears4426]

Hopefully he uses his water wisely and doesn't try to expand or he'll be in the same situation, maybe downsize and grow premium fruit

[@sarcasmo57]

Good luck with your water.

[@user-qg5vv4iu4p]

If you keep wanting to access water underground you gotta stop developing on top of the ground sealing the land and piping the water to concentrated areas.

[@shelbysgarage5828]

Desalination although works, and well. It just can't produce the amount of water a farmer like this would need. A typical reverse osmosis filter (desalination filter) runs around 600psi to produce about 1/2 gallon per minute. Now the depth these guys are drilling "220m" all in all isn't that deep. Here on the island I live on its not.uncommon to hear a well that's 500 ft deep. But threw granite is another thing. When water is in a drought people don't understand that even a drip a minute works out to quiet a few gallons per day. Multiply that by thousands (out of millions of people) and then all your work goes to watering under your neighbors house or to their septic cause of a toilet drip. I treated water (everything from the aquifer to the home) for 13years and people honestly just think that you turn a valve and the water comes threw like some voodoo magic. Yes i know that sounds silly but hey people still think the earth is flat.if knowledge is power, then he who controls the water is most powerful.

[@avonwick8456]

220 metres is over 700 feet

[@GlasgowCelticBhoy]

I'm wondering if we should be looking at desalination plants properly - might be some people that read this comment that have more expertise than me in this matter. My experience, as a downhole or wireline logging supervisor is that the groundwater or aquifers are heavily regulated. To an extent at least. I was part of a project up in Weipa where they dropped 1000m bores (over 1 meter wide) into the Great Artesian Basin. Our job was to provide data on the cement bonding to the outside of the 900m of solid steel casing, and to ensure that the screens at the bottom were structurally sound. We also provided geophysical information as to the lithology of the ground outside the screens (sandstone types, etc). All in all, I was impressed. But I didn't see any government officials ever show up - so it was almost like they had to trust what we provided and what the other contractors did. The final part of this regulation was the amount that they could take per annum. I don't know the figures - but it would be interested as to how they monitor this.

[@troyball6623]

What will you do when that water is gone ?

[@nvrluki7608]

Great that they’re doing the poc for free but I doubt people will pay it forward.

[@Carole_Baskin]

Why waste time with it? Once our gas lead recovery is in full swing all artesian stores will be polluted by fracking.

[@GlasgowCelticBhoy]

So, you're saying that our artesian stores will be absolutely fracked! If only the politicians would give a frack then we might get a better outcome! P.s. I'm on your side btw Carole. Just adding some lame humour into the mix.

[@robbrewer2036]

We will need a Scotty mirracal to avoid disaster with his gas led recovery.

[@BaMenace]

11:25 "A litre a second is very valuable.." Meanwhile hundreds of litres are wasted behind him

[@emmanuelcastro9827]

If we keep using water commercially we will run out one way of the other stupid over a grape when you must keep all we have for future but o well we all die anyways right lol 🤣🤣

[@2000coco]

It’s miserable living that’s for sure…no water, no life . That’ll do all humans in

[@sheep.herder]

as above, so below..until above drys out then so does below. sheep herder logic 🐑

[@JTVSydney]

PETER ANDREWS METHODS?

[@Koch8]

Is that drinkable?

[@dannymate1209]

Not generally

[@kerryodempsey5341]

Yes usually

[@grinblurnar]

Water divining?…. seriously???? Well disproven mythical nonsense.