COLCHESTER, Vt. (WCAX) – The region’s severe drought has created an unexpected silver lining for some local businesses, with irrigation and well-drilling companies in high demand.
Will Rose, owner of Vermont Irrigation Inc., says his Colchester business installing sprinkler systems has surged as the dry conditions continue, seeing three times the business in a typical year.
“It’s definitely been better as the dry goes on,” Rose said. “We’ve got a situation that’s like drinking out of a fire hose. You know we’ve got thousands of customers and they all need to be serviced in two months.”
The seasonal timing has created additional challenges for irrigation companies, which are now juggling both winterization services for existing systems and new installations. Vermont Irrigation is currently managing multiple projects daily and is booked solid through the rest of the year and into next spring.
Joe Chevalier from Chevalier Drilling is experiencing a similar business boom in the well-drilling sector. His Highgate Springs company has been overwhelmed with calls from customers.
“It’s been a struggle to keep up with the amount of calls that we’re getting. We’re definitely hoping that customers are staying patient with us. We’ve been trying to hire more people to kind of accommodate the need and ramp up a little bit,” Chevalier said.
The situation becomes particularly challenging when customers face emergency water shortages. Chevalier said his company tries to prioritize the most urgent cases while managing customer expectations.
“People are being patient but they definitely want their water and they want it now, and so we try to manage that and prioritize who needs it the most,” he said.
As some reservoirs or springs dry up, Rose says some customers are trying to conserve water by cutting back on hand watering. He says irrigation can actually help save more water.
“If you’re watering with a hose, you’re probably wasting a ton more water. When we do the system, it’s designed to be pretty even, so you’re actually doing what you want with less water,” Rose said.
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