Danny Lynch, age 11, of Merrillville, Ind., for his question:

WHAT IS A DIVINING ROD?

Drinking water for many people comes from wells. Even in many cities, where a central reservoir is the starting point for a network of water pipes extending to individual homes, the supply for the storage tanks is from underground sources and wells. In most rural areas people depend on individual wells for the water supply necessary to maintain human, animal and plant life.

Just how do you go about picking out the right location to drill your water well?

If you are smart, you will engage an expert to find the right spot. In many areas water is just below the surface and the supply can be reached with very little digging. It doesn't take too much of an expert to find water in this type of area.

In some locations, however, it is necessary to have geologists and engineers with modern equipment locate deposits of underground water.

At one time most wells were located with the use of a divining rod which has also been called a dowser. The divination method to locate underground water, as a matter of fact, continues to be used in many parts of the world today.

Here's how the system works:    The operator holds a forked twig with two ends close to his body and the stem pointing forward. As he walks along over an area under which water is supposedly located, the stem of the divining rod suddenly is pulled downward toward the  earth. This, he says, is where you will find water.

Scientific reports, however, indicate that if success with the divining rod is obtained, it is most likely a result of the diviner being sensitive to visual clues which might indicate which location is best for the well. Any slight relaxation of the divining rod will cause the stem to turn down with a pointing movement and often the operator is not aware that he himself controls the action. There's no scientific reason for a stick of wood to turn toward hidden underground water.

Divining rods call upon some type of magic for their work. It is fun to believe that they can really work   and usually the common sense of the person using the device is what makes the magic happen.

Most wells, once they are in operation, provide underground water that is pure because soil makes an excellent filter. The water generally contains dissolved minerals.

Water wells must always be located at least 100 feet away from a cesspool and should be located in such a way that no sewage can drain toward it.