Find Your Inner da Vinci

By Thad Plumley

Taking in a museum recently that told the story of Leonardo da Vinci left me in awe and thinking about water well drilling.

The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America in Pueblo, Colorado, the only institution in the United Sates dedicated solely to da Vinci, showcased the visionary’s greatness at art, inventions, and more. It showed he was truly a man centuries ahead of his time.

Then I saw a hydraulic drill.

I’m serious. Da Vinci, who died in 1519, had sketched out plans for a drill that was powered by water. A hands-on replica let you see how he envisioned it working. The exhibit was with others like a flying machine, gear that let you move underwater, a parachute, and even an armored tank.

Truly incredible.

This is what the museum said about his hydraulic drill which (Think about this: it was dated 1495):

“Leonardo designed it for excavating projects. Water could be used to power the ingenious drill. A weighted pulley system was used to raise and lower the drill into place. Similar designs are used today for natural gas and oil drilling.”

Like I said, he wasn’t just a guy who painted the Mona Lisa. His brain was operating at a level hundreds of years ahead of his time.

If you’re wondering, it was in 1927 when inventor Harry Pennington was issued the first patent for a hydraulic percussion drive using fluid to lift a hammer piston. Some of you may recall it was in the 1970s when fully functional, modern hydraulic drilling machines were introduced and sold commercially.

How interesting it must have been to be in the orbit of da Vinci. How interesting it must have been to see a blueprint of his ideas or a prototype come to life.

Among him had to be people literally seeing ways in which their lives could improve with things they didn’t think possible blossoming right in front of them.

Now, you do realize that can happen to you too, right? It may not be as mind-blowing as seeing a tank hundreds of years before one rolled on a battlefield, but you can certainly see ways that will make your professional life better.

The National Ground Water Association’s Groundwater Week 2026 takes place December 8-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the latest innovations and ideas will be on display for three days.

The event will feature the largest Exhibit Hall in show history as it will cover a record number of square feet. The hall is always fun to walk with the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers showcasing their newest technology designed to make you more efficient, more safe, and flat out better in your profession.

Groundwater Week is co-locating with the Irrigation Association’s Irrigation Show this year too, meaning you can walk through the exhibits at that event as well, doubling your chances to be blown away by something new.

The educational offerings will be provided by top groundwater professionals who will share tips and strategies that can help you take your business or career to the next level.

The event is the chance to see your future and then improve it. Just like a guy named Leonardo da Vinci did hundreds of years ago.

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Thad Plumley is the editor of WWJ and the director of publications for the National Ground Water Association. He can be reached at tplumley@ngwa.org, or (800) 551-7379, ext. 1594.