Dowsing is a pseudoscience and the scientific evidence is that it is no more effective than random chance. Dowsers often achieve good results because random chance has a high probability of finding water in favourable terrain.

Do divining rods really find water?

Hi @sallylepage, yes on occasions we use divining or dowsing rods to locate water mains however they are not accurate 100% of the time. There is no evidence that divining, which relies on the spontaneous twitching of sticks held in human hands, can accurately detect anything beneath the ground.

What is the science behind water dowsing?

The natural explanation of "successful" water dowsing is that in many areas underground water is so prevalent close to the land surface that it would be hard to drill a well and not find water. In a region of adequate rainfall and favorable geology, it is difficult not to drill and find water!