Mannion Groundwater Exploration bases our analyses on hard data. We combine multiple data sources to give you the most reliable recommendations for drill sites possible.  Specifically, we combine an analysis of the underlying geology and topography with field surveys investigating the aquifers  of possible sites. Our key technologies are relative resistivity and seismo-electric surveying, which we use in conjunction. We then correlate our findings to the historical data about known bore sites. By combining data sources, we reduce the effects of the data anomalies that can produce misleading indications, allowing us to recommend sites that have a high probability of meeting or exceeding requirements.

Drill sites have traditionally been chosen through individual intuition and superstition. Most commonly, water diviners (also known as dowsers) use a dowsing rod or rods to point downwards or cross when they are at the right site – above the water source or other ‘hidden’ resource. Testing has found that in controlled conditions divining has no greater chance of locating water (or other resources) than random chance (Enright). The movement of the rods is usually attributed to the ideomotor response – where a person moves unconsciously. Where diviners are more successful than random chance – anecdotally some are – they are probably unconsciously reacting to hunches based on their knowledge of past successful bore sites. We prefer to base our site recommendations on data rather than hunches.