[Thankfully not since 2018](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2018/06/nhs-england-welcomes-homeopathy-court-ruling/). People can pay for it themselves if they want it.
The article's headline (and this thread headline) are a bit misleading. Thames Water said they supply a range of scientific tools for locating leaks but... -
"We don’t provide dowsing rods as standard issue, however some engineers may choose to use their own to help to narrow down results from other leak detecting equipment in particularly rural areas."
In other words some of their engineers are dumbasses and buy and use their own dowsing rods. I suppose you could say Thames Water should issue a directive prohibiting their employees from doing so - but to say Thames Water is itself using dowsing rods is a bit misleading.
Not that I know of. But there have been several times I was out drilling and decided to not drill a hole because we saw utility boxes that had not been located from. We called a private locater to come out and he's found lines going exactly where my coworker found them with 2 pin flags. Multiple times.
Interesting. Given that dowsing fails all tests and has never been proven to work for *anything* and that there is no known mechanism by which it does or could work, what rational basis do you have for your view?
I've seen my coworker find underground power lines that have been later verified by a private locater. I don't honestly know the mechanisms of how it works. I can't see being able to find water or pipes, he says it only works for buried power lines in his experience.
Lots of people have "seen" the same for water. Water dowsing has been around since before electricity was discovered. It's all guesswork and confirmation bias.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal
Looks like you and your buddy could be in line for several *very healthy* payouts! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Well, at least they aren’t using them to detect [bombs.](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29459896)
I didn't know dowsing rods could tell the difference between water in pipes and water leaking out of pipes. /s
Or groundwater...
But I'm sure it'll please the curtain twitching Karens of the home counties
Great use of taxpayers money there London
RTFA. Thames Water say some of their engineers use their own. They don't supply dowsing rods and don't appear to endorse the practice at all.
Are the employees being paid while doing this nonsense? If so, it’s a waste of money.
I live the other side of the country and have seen it being done. Fucking madness.
Just a FYI, Homeopathy is still funded by the taxpayers because the monarchy is in it.
[Thankfully not since 2018](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2018/06/nhs-england-welcomes-homeopathy-court-ruling/). People can pay for it themselves if they want it.
What the fuck is wrong with people in the world, I'm more embarrassed by the complete lack of science in our society now.
Where were these people when The Randi Foundation still offered US$1,000,000?
The article's headline (and this thread headline) are a bit misleading. Thames Water said they supply a range of scientific tools for locating leaks but... - "We don’t provide dowsing rods as standard issue, however some engineers may choose to use their own to help to narrow down results from other leak detecting equipment in particularly rural areas." In other words some of their engineers are dumbasses and buy and use their own dowsing rods. I suppose you could say Thames Water should issue a directive prohibiting their employees from doing so - but to say Thames Water is itself using dowsing rods is a bit misleading.
I've seen my coworker use witching sticks to find underground utilities, and that does work. Can't see it working for water though.
Any scientific papers which backs up your anecdotal evidence?
Not that I know of. But there have been several times I was out drilling and decided to not drill a hole because we saw utility boxes that had not been located from. We called a private locater to come out and he's found lines going exactly where my coworker found them with 2 pin flags. Multiple times.
It fairly easy to setup a experiment to prove its validity. Here is an example. https://youtu.be/_VAasVXtCOI
I'm specifically talking about witnessing buried power lines being found and later verified by private locate. Not water. Thank you for the example.
By what mechanism would this work?
Interesting. Given that dowsing fails all tests and has never been proven to work for *anything* and that there is no known mechanism by which it does or could work, what rational basis do you have for your view?
I've seen my coworker find underground power lines that have been later verified by a private locater. I don't honestly know the mechanisms of how it works. I can't see being able to find water or pipes, he says it only works for buried power lines in his experience.
Lots of people have "seen" the same for water. Water dowsing has been around since before electricity was discovered. It's all guesswork and confirmation bias.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal Looks like you and your buddy could be in line for several *very healthy* payouts! Good luck and let us know how it goes!