Watch How Alsop and Muller Transformed Their Operations
For over 150 years, Alsop and Muller has served the Salinas Valley’s agricultural community with well drilling, pump services, and irrigation solutions. But despite their deep expertise, General Manager Ryan Jefferson recognized a critical gap: the inability to monitor well health in real-time. That changed when he discovered NightOwl Monitoring at the National Groundwater Association convention in Las Vegas. In this testimonial, Ryan shares how remote monitoring technology transformed their business model and helped their customers operate more efficiently.
In this testimonial video, Ryan Jefferson walks through the journey from reactive service calls to proactive equipment management. You’ll learn how NightOwl’s remote monitoring system helped them validate utility power issues, prevent costly turbine pump failures, and deliver measurable value to agricultural customers. See firsthand why Ryan believes this technology is “a big part of the future of the industry.”
Meet Jim Blair, CEO of NightOwl Monitoring
Leading the conversation is Jim Blair, founder and CEO of NightOwl Monitoring. With a deep understanding of the challenges facing well drilling and service companies, Jim has built NightOwl’s platform to provide real-time visibility into well performance — helping partners like Alsop and Muller shift from emergency response to preventive care.
The Challenge: Operating in the Dark
Ryan Jefferson came to the water industry with a unique perspective. His background in heavy equipment management had taught him the value of real-time equipment monitoring — being able to see the health of machinery operating in the field at any moment.
But when he joined Alsop and Muller, he was surprised by what was missing:
“When I got into this industry, I found that that was very largely lacking. There’s lots of irrigation focused solutions out there, but nothing related to the health of the well, which is a very important piece of the infrastructure for a lot of farming operations as well as, you know, large residences or commercial operations“
— Ryan Jefferson, General Manager and Lead Sales Engineer, Alsop and Muller Water Solutions
The Salinas Valley’s agricultural operations depend on reliable well systems. But without visibility into well performance, Alsop and Muller was stuck in a reactive mode — responding to failures after they occurred rather than preventing them.
Ryan knew there had to be a better way. The question was finding the right technology partner.
The Search for the Right Solution
Ryan actively searched for remote monitoring solutions. He found everything from do-it-yourself systems to irrigation-focused platforms. But most fell short when it came to monitoring well health specifically.
Then, at the National Groundwater Association convention in 2024, Ryan attended one of Jim Blair’s sessions on remote monitoring. He knew immediately he had found what he was looking for.
What set NightOwl apart was their adaptability. While they started primarily with domestic well monitoring, they worked closely with Alsop and Muller to expand into commercial and agricultural applications — including turbine wells. This flexibility proved essential.
The Transformation: From Reactive to Proactive
Implementing NightOwl’s remote monitoring system changed how Alsop and Muller operates — and how they serve their customers.
Proving Power Quality Issues
In an area where Pacific Gas and Electric’s power reliability was notoriously problematic, NightOwl’s system provided the evidence customers needed:
“We’ve been able to validate that there are issues and force the utility provider to make adjustments to it.”
Real-time data on power quality and availability gave customers the documentation they needed to demand action from their utility provider.
Preventing Costly Equipment Failures
Turbine pumps are expensive pieces of equipment, and oiling issues can lead to catastrophic failures. NightOwl’s monitoring and control capabilities changed the equation:
“We’ve been able to capture instances and shut down the wells in instances where there’s been a lack of oiling through some of the control mechanisms that NightOwl has been able to provide to us and so it’s helped save some of those pieces of equipment that you know can lead to some fairly costly repairs if it’s not captured early on.”
By catching problems before they caused damage, the system paid for itself through avoided repairs alone.
Optimizing Operations and Reducing Costs
For agricultural customers, pumping efficiency directly impacts profitability. NightOwl’s data helped identify which wells were most efficient and when they were operating:
“It’s also helped some of the customers that have started to utilize it to help identify when they’re starting and stopping their wells and which ones are more efficient and target those efficiencies in order to try and improve their overall cost of pumping water, which is very important for the ag industry.”
Installation: Easier Than Expected
One concern many service companies have is whether the technology will be too complicated for their teams. Ryan’s experience was reassuring:
While the first turbine pump installation required some learning, the NightOwl team provided strong support, and subsequent installations became straightforward. For domestic systems, the process was even simpler.
The NightOwl team’s responsiveness and clear documentation made the learning curve manageable.
Ryan’s Advice: Just Try It
“Try it. I would say try it out. You know, the NightOwl team has been helpful to us with helping to understand how the system integrates.”
— Ryan Jefferson, General Manager and Lead Sales Engineer, Alsop and Muller Water Solutions
He recommends starting with a demo system — perhaps on your own domestic well or with a key customer — to see what the technology can do and learn the installation process firsthand.
From there, companies can “start dreaming about the things that this system can bring to them in terms of their capacity to help provide additional service to their customers.”
Ready to Transform Your Water Management Operations?
Alsop and Muller’s story shows how remote monitoring technology can shift an established company from reactive repairs to proactive management — creating value for customers while improving operational efficiency.
Whether you’re dealing with unreliable power, protecting expensive equipment, or helping customers optimize their water usage, NightOwl Monitoring’s remote well monitoring system provides the visibility and control you need.
Ready to see what NightOwl can do for your business? Visit nightowlmonitoring.com to learn more about our remote monitoring solutions or contact us to discuss how we can support your operations.
