Enrique Gili is a freelance writer covering Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (Without a water source, developers building luxury resorts, orchards and wineries off the water grid aren't taking any chances. Some are hiring witchers as well as geologists, pitting them against each other in the water hunt. Meanwhile, some well drillers have witchers on staff. Other drillers offer witcher referrals or subcontract with independent witchers.
George Dunfield, chief of the professional-standards unit at the California Board of Geologists and Geophysicists, says many witchers are frauds who swindle customers. But water witchers, he says, are protected by the First Amendment. Mr. Dunfield says by hiring a witcher, consumers are essentially signing onto a religious doctrine "like voodoo" and the state can do little to protect them. He says there have been a growing number of complaints recently from people who say they paid witchers to find water and were led to dry wells. (WSJ)
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Comments
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Dowsers are frauds, plain and simple. They have no first amendment protection. Mr. Dunfield is just too lazy to go after them, because he knows they'll sue and he'll have a long court battle. But it seems to me it's easy enough to test a dowser (Randi does it all the time), and since they always fail he is pretty much guaranteed to prevail.
A pox on the entire California Board of Geologists.
Posted by: Johnny Vector | August 3, 2007 05:38 PM
"He says there have been a growing number of complaints recently from people who say they paid witchers to find water and were led to dry wells. (WSJ)"
Tough shit. If you buy unadulterated woo you get what you deserve.
Posted by: Mark C | August 4, 2007 12:59 AM