Posted by Adam Quinan on March 26, 2006 at 13:26:55 from 72.136.51.111 user Adam.
I was just re-reading Chapter XIII of Pigeoon Post "Can't anybody dowse?"
Nancy comments "There used to be one in the village (My query: what village?), and long ago he found water for Beckfoot. Before we were born."
So it is obvious Beckfoot's water supply doesn't come from the river or lake which would not have required a dowser to find. The newly discovered alternatives are a well on the grounds or else an underground spring up on the hill which would at least give the supply some head.
Second question is why would a new supply be needed? I think that Beckfoot originally drew its water from the river somehow but this was no longer considered safe perhaps when the concept of waterborne germs became understood.