The Alberta government is assuring drivers on busy Highway 2 that low-flying aircraft they'll see crossing the roadway for the next four months are harmless.

From Dec. 1, 2007, until March 31, 2008, the planes will be using electromagnetic waves to locate underground water supplies as part of a study by Alberta Environment and the Alberta Geological Survey.

The airborne geophysics method collects information about the area using electromagnetic waves without disturbing the land. The waves are harmless to people and will not interfere with cellphones or other electronic devices, the province said Friday.

The flights will pass about 120 metres from the ground between Pigeon Lake and Camrose and as far south as Red Deer.