Water divining

Does all of Jersey's water come from the island's rainfall or is there an extra untapped source, deep underground?

Water divining

Water is the blue oil of the future - a valuable resource that could become ever more scarce because of climate change.

A struggle for control of this vital commodity has already started in the Channel Islands.

Jersey simply doesn't have enough water to go around.

There is emergency back up - sea water can be converted to drinking water but it's expensive.

So is there an alternative?

Inside Out's Russell Labey goes back to his native Jersey to investigate a strange tale of science versus sorcery involving water divining.

Scarce commodity

Jersey is water scarce - the island has a desalination plant and sea water can be converted to drinking water.

But this desalination plant, the first of its kind in the northern hemisphere, uses a staggering 70 times more electricity than Jersey reservoirs.

Jersey States have been looking to introduce water regulation measures for 15 years.

Standing in their way has been a lobby consisting of water diviners and borehole drillers.

George Langlois - exponent of the art of water divining

They claim that Jersey doesn't need new regulations because the island is sitting on vast reserves of water replenished by underground streams from France.

Many Jersey people, including prominent politicians, have long held this belief.

The latest and greatest exponent of the ancient art of water divination in Jersey is George Langlois.

George claims to have a 100% record in detecting water and few dispute his skills.

But his theory concerning where it comes from has put him at odds with the geological establishment.

At the centre of the argument is a question that is taxing the finest minds.

Does all of Jersey's water come from the island's rainfall, or is there, as George Langlois claims, an extra untapped source, deep underground?

Science versus sorcery

George Langlois believes that Jersey is sitting on top of millions of gallons of unused water - which come not from rain that fell on Jersey - but elsewhere.

He believes it reaches here through underground streams.

But the government's top geologists have spent years studying the island and according to them it's a scientific impossibility.

You'd think that with the weight of geological opinion stacked against George and his supporters, Jersey States would push ahead with new water regulation - but, no.

Jersey States' Deputy, Sarah Ferguson, puts her trust in George Langlois.

She thinks that before water restrictions are imposed, his theory should be tested.

So the Jersey authorities asked George to identify a couple of places where he believes deep water is coming in from France.

Water from the Jersey boreholes was then taken to the BGS labs in Wallingford for testing.

At the labs the analysts can tell whether the water they have collected is likely to have come from rainfall on Jersey or from the hills of France.

The latter would have less of the rare oxygen-18 isotope

If George is right, this extra, deep water would make stricter regulations unnecessary.

Conclusive evidence?

So what do the results show?

The samples they found bore the same isotopic fingerprint as Jersey rainwater, different from water that would have fallen on French hills, which is where the diviners and borehole drillers claimed it fell.

Regulation is now imminent.

But the diviners and drillers claim foul so what's next?

Water divining - can it really identify hidden reserves?

New water regulations are now on imminent.

So is this the end of the matter?

The scientists say there's no French deep water under Jersey, but George is having none of it and thinks the test drilling just didn't go deep enough

The scientists appear to have proved George conclusively wrong.

But it's going to take a while for Jersey folk to give up a legend which they've clung onto for generations.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Jersey - Inland water
• British Society of Dowsers
• Jersey Water
• Wikipedia - Dowsing

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Follow the Rhino birth!

Rhino - watch this space for news of her baby!

BBC South West is breaking new ground and giving you the opportunity to witness a black Rhino birth.

Watch the BBC Devon Rhino web cam

This is the first time that a Rhino birth has ever been filmed and we've dug out the Springwatch cameras and installed them at Paignton Zoo to bring this amazing event direct to your home.

Sita, the pregnant Rhino, is being filmed 24 hours a day in anticipation of the big day.

Zoo keepers are watching her closely as this is the first time a Rhino calf has been born at the Zoo.

You can watch the action on the web and tune in to Inside Out to get the whole story.

Fact File

* Black Rhino are critically endangered. There are now thought to be less than 3,100 black Rhino living in the wild in East and Southern Africa.

* Rhinos can live for up to 45 years in zoos.

* Paignton Zoo supports practical Rhino conservation work in Zimbabwe and Malawi. Conservation work in Zoos is also playing a key role in the survival of the species.

* The parents-to-be are Kingo and Sita.

* Kingo (male) is 23-years- old and has already fathered four calves. He weighs in at 1.8 tonnes and came to Paignton Zoo in 2003 from Port Lympe Zoo in Kent.

* Sita is 16 years old, weighs 1.3 tonnes and is a first time mum. She came from Berlin Zoo in 2002. Sita will stay with her calf until it is able to look after itself but black rhinos are solitary animals so Kingo lives in an adjacent paddock.

* Kingo and Sita are part of the coordinated European Endangered species Programme (EEP) for black rhino.

* If all goes well this will be the first black rhino to be born at Paignton Zoo. At birth the calf could weigh around 40kg.

* The cameras being used were first developed for the Channel 4 series Big Brother and have since been used for the BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch series. They can pan and tilt at 360 degrees, and use infra red to film in the dark so whatever happens we won't miss a thing.

Watch the webcam

Watch all the action from Sita's paddock on the BBC Devon webcam.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Devon Web cam and Rhino feature
• Paignton Zoos

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites