How do you know where to dig a well for drinking water?

Intplm. · April 20

I have heard of and have seen many ways of finding the elusive underground water source.
How have you found potable water and has it been consistently successful?

Mad Dog_2 · April 20

Divining rods. Mad Dog

Intplm. · April 20

Mad Dog_2 said:
Divining rods. Mad Dog

Is that the same as what is called witching sticks?

HVACNUT · April 20

JMWHVAC · April 20

Divining rods, witching sticks, ouja board, etc, etc, all the same thing. Not scientific and they say you have to believe in it for it to work. Gods creation laws work whether a person believes in them or not. As a Christian I urge any and all to not use witchcraft.

JMWHVAC · April 20

Here in PA we let the drilling rig find our water. Once in a while we do get a 500' dry well. Then we move to a different spot and try again.

Jamie Hall · April 20

When I was working in Vermont I had a good friend who used divining rods. Hew swore they worked. Most of the state, though, if you poke a hole in the ground you are going to hit water -- eventually, and how much may be a question.

A reasonably competent geologist can make some pretty good guesses at depth and yield and probable quality, though... and I wonder about said friend, as he was also a pretty competent geologist...

I could never make them work.

On the other hand, I've had pretty good success in years gone by. With one notable exception: we needed a well for a new high school south of Rutland. In marble. I was kind of doubtful even before we started drilling... but on the third try, after two 800 foot dry holes (! -- if you don't think that didn't cost!) we hit just enough water to supply the school. Hardness was off the charts... yield was low... but it did the job.

DCContrarian · April 20

I like to survey the site and figure out where it would be most convenient to dig the trench back to the house. Because you know that's the one spot water isn't going to be!

Jamie Hall · April 20

There's also the little matter of where can you get the rig -- those things are heavy.

dko · April 20

It must work with all those 5 star reviews on amazon for dowsing rods.

Larry Weingarten · April 20

When I had my well drilled, the driller witched it, and guaranteed that he would find water or no charge. He found water 🤠👍
Yours, Larry

EBEBRATT-Ed · April 20

They say metal coat hangers straightened out will work we did it several times out in back of our high school in science class. The hangers crossed in the same spot for several students. Was there water there we will never know?

Jamie Hall · April 20

I hate to say this -- but unless you are very unfortunate (see my earlier comment) there will be water there. How much and how good is another question -- but it will be there. Anywhere.

ChrisJ · April 20

You contact Willie the Well-Witcher

But beware of the high handed code. As amended in 1912. Although that may have been replaced by The Stupid and Ridiculous Law of 1966.

That aside,I have no doubt holding sticks etc does absolutely nothing.

hot_rod · April 20

I’ve found copper water lines with brazing stick divining rods
It works for some, not others. I have seen excavators use them to find buried lines

ChrisJ · April 20

hot_rod said:

I’ve found copper water lines with brazing stick divining rods
It works for some, not others. I have seen excavators use them to find buried lines

Can you explain the science behind how they work?

pecmsg · April 20

Let the wife deicide

there never Wrong!

leonz · April 20

Folks that are Dowsers use crystals and are very successful in
finding water and they can also tell you how deep it is.

ChrisJ · April 20

pecmsg said:

Let the wife deicide

there never Wrong!

That method at least has logic behind it.

Certainly much less painful

Mad Dog_2 · April 20

I am a Roman Catholic, not in to Wicthie-poo, Wiccan, or any of that, but I have seen divining rods work a few times. A Big Well Drilling company upstate. Don't ask me the science behind it. Mad Dog

JMWHVAC · April 20

There is no science behind it. Rather it is the power of darkness behind it and yes, sometimes it produces supernatural results. If I experience something supernatural, I want it to be the power of God, not power from the other side. I realize some professing Christians do dowsing. I leave them to God but the Devil can come as an angel of light.

PC7060 · April 21

We need a “huh?” button.

ChrisJ · April 21

PC7060 said:

We need a “huh?” button.

Not until I get my good grief button. I've been asking for years.

dko · April 21

I can't tell if some people are being humorous, sarcastic or serious.

MikeL_2 · April 21

A successful Dowser I know uses a forked branch from a willow tree to locate drilling sites.

Gsmith · April 21

As Jamie Hall noted, in most well watered areas of the US, say eastern US, if you dig you will find water, how much yield (rate of flow) is dependent on the rock or material type. A number of hydrogeologists (geologists specializing in ground water) that I know, study aerial photos to look for fracture traces which are linear physical indications on the surface of fractures in the bedrock below. They look for places where two or more fracture traces intersect and drill there, the idea being that intersecting fractured areas in the bedrock will yield more water. This always seemed like a bit of voodoo to me, as I could never find them on the aerial photos, but when pointed out I could kinda see them.

Jamie Hall · April 21

Gsmith said:
As Jamie Hall noted, in most well watered areas of the US, say eastern US, if you dig you will find water, how much yield (rate of flow) is dependent on the rock or material type. A number of hydrogeologists (geologists specializing in ground water) that I know, study aerial photos to look for fracture traces which are linear physical indications on the surface of fractures in the bedrock below. They look for places where two or more fracture traces intersect and drill there, the idea being that intersecting fractured areas in the bedrock will yield more water. This always seemed like a bit of voodoo to me, as I could never find them on the aerial photos, but when pointed out I could kinda see them.

It is sort of voodoo, @Gsmith , but if one has studied enough photos (stereo pairs are far far better than single shots!) one kind of gets a feel for what you are looking for. I'm not at all sure it's a really learnable talent -- it almost seems from working with folks over the years that either you can see that sort of thing or not.

And I can assure you that if you can find intersecting fracture zones in otherwise pretty stingy rock you can create some pretty good rock wells. Not to boast, just the truth, but I managed to find a 48 gpm/72 hour test well that way a few years back. The city water company was very happy...

psb75 · April 21

Here's another 'proven' method: ask around in your neighborhood about other drilled wells. Or check on your state map for drilled-well statistics. Even this is not a 'guaranteed' approach. I have seen next-door neighbors with very different results. Its just...mysterious...down there. Even 8-10' down! Ask someone with a leaky basement. I live in a state that has the home of the American Society of Dowsers--Bro. Jamie knows which one that is. Some dowsers even profess to be able to DIVERT water! I sense that some folks on this thread are "less comfortable" with 'earth mysteries.' You could...just let the mystery be.

RTW · April 21

BY LARRY: When I had my well drilled, the driller witched it, and guaranteed that he would find water or no charge. He found water 🤠👍
Yours, Larry

BY RTW: this quote reminds me of Babe Ruth coming up to bat and pointing in the direction of where his next homerun would go, and it did in 1932 World series against the Cubs. Haha

Larry Weingarten · April 21

Hi @RTR , I've come to believe that magic is something we simply don't understand yet. Babe must have understood ⚾️

Yours, Larry

ChrisJ · April 21

Larry Weingarten said:

Hi @RTR , I've come to believe that magic is something we simply don't understand yet. Babe must have understood ⚾️ Yours, Larry

She even signed her name on it. Some lady named... Ruth, Baby Ruth.

Who is she?

Intplm. · April 21

dko said:
I can't tell if some people are being humorous, sarcastic or serious.

Jamie Hall said:

Gsmith said:
As Jamie Hall noted, in most well watered areas of the US, say eastern US, if you dig you will find water, how much yield (rate of flow) is dependent on the rock or material type. A number of hydrogeologists (geologists specializing in ground water) that I know, study aerial photos to look for fracture traces which are linear physical indications on the surface of fractures in the bedrock below. They look for places where two or more fracture traces intersect and drill there, the idea being that intersecting fractured areas in the bedrock will yield more water. This always seemed like a bit of voodoo to me, as I could never find them on the aerial photos, but when pointed out I could kinda see them.
It is sort of voodoo, @Gsmith , but if one has studied enough photos (stereo pairs are far far better than single shots!) one kind of gets a feel for what you are looking for. I'm not at all sure it's a really learnable talent -- it almost seems from working with folks over the years that either you can see that sort of thing or not.

And I can assure you that if you can find intersecting fracture zones in otherwise pretty stingy rock you can create some pretty good rock wells. Not to boast, just the truth, but I managed to find a 48 gpm/72 hour test well that way a few years back. The city water company was very happy...

Hmm...seems like an applied form of dead reconning combined with dumb luck? Excellent responses.
Surely science seems to have the edge here. Sticks/rods are used for show?

ratio · April 21

It's interesting to see this. If what I've read can be believed, the statistics of dowsing are well beyond random chance, and only dogmatic believe (note: scientism falls into this category) opposes it.

I have not, however, been interested enough to look into it myself.

Dave Carpentier · April 21

When I was tasked with locating underground telecom lines (using electronics) , I would occasionally work alongside other utilities. I was shocked one day to see a water guy 'witch' for a locate. He said how else are you going to located a plastic line. He was on the mark.

When some relatives had a well witched, the gal had a few hits on the property but noted a crossing of good strengths in one spot. Turned out to be artesian at about 24ft.

I tried witching a couple of times, I didnt get any 'signal'. Maybe I'm not conductive ? lol

Jamie Hall · April 21

My take on it all? Whatever works for you.

Mad Dog_2 · April 21

RTW...and Broadway Joe Namath 1969 Superbowl: "I guarantee it!." Mad Dog

ChrisJ · April 21

If no one knows where either of my quotes came from, especially the last one I'm going to be highly disappointed.

PRR · April 22

ChrisJ said:
Some lady named... Ruth, Baby Ruth. Who is she?

Nothing to do with Babe ⚾️ (or did it???), and Baby Ruth died quite young. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Cleveland

hot_rod · April 29

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1799599#Comment_1799599

I'm not a scientist, just a plumber.

I'll send a You Tube of me locating the water lines in my yard if you like. I don't do wells, just pipes :)

I've never seen it work for a non believer, if that helps.

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-dowsing

ChrisJ · April 29

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1800593#Comment_1800593

You already know roughly where the pipes are, so in that case I'm sure it'll work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_phenomenon

That's a good read regardless of the topic.

Am I a non-believer? I'd say 80%, but there's some curiosity. I have no way of knowing for sure that it doesn't work right now.

hcpatel78 · July 16

Earth Magnetism! -There is a science behind that.

How do you know where to dig a well for drinking water?

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