Water firms backtrack on admissions that they use divining rods

Some blame rogue engineers for continuing to use practice dismissed as witchcraft to find leaks

Water firms have hastily distanced themselves from their own admissions that they use divining rods to detect leaks amid widespread alarm at publicly listed companies using witchcraft.

Ten of the 12 water companies in the UK told the science blogger Sally Le Page, via Twitter, that they use the practice of water dowsing despite the lack of scientific evidence for its effectiveness.