# Dowser

> Emergency services tool for digitizing and locating water intake points. (iPhone/iPad app by h3ko Innovations GmbH.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dowser/id1086146583 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [h3ko Innovations GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143540818)
- Category: Productivity, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 6 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.3 · 42 MB
- Released: 2016-06-06
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dowser/id1086146583/reviews.md

## What is Dowser?

The free DOWSER App is aimed at all interested emergency services who have always wanted to digitize their water intake points or who need a quick overview of existing water intake points on the way to the operation site, if the local network has already been updated. The DOWSER App provides you with a functional tool, which you can use conveniently on your iPhone while on the road. 

A great advantage of the DOWSER App is the guarantee that no trial membership, long-term commitment or payment for the use will come your way. DOWSER is and will remain free of charge and its range of functions will not be restricted at a later time! This is made possible, thanks to a current research project, where the digitization of existing documents and materials from authorities in the area of fire-fighting stands in the foreground.

Range of functions:

Water intake points at the site

The DOWSER App provides you with the ability to show water intake points in your immediate surrounding on a street map. A separate listing of all water intake points in your vicinity allows maintaining an overview. A new "feature" is the display of water intake points in your vicinity sorted by the distance from your location.
If you are on the way to the operation site, using the DOWSER App you can inform yourself at any time in advance about available water intake points. If you want to get a faster overview of the situation on the ground with the direct input of address data, the DOWSER offers this functionality. A click on a specific water intake point discloses the important details such as nominal diameter, flow rate, type of water intake point and other important information. 

Enter water intake points

With the DOWSER App you have the ability to enter your own water intake points and in the long term you contribute to a complete digitization of all water intake points. Your personal profile keeps track for you of your already stored water intake points.

Rating of water intake points

A special highlight is the rating option in the DOWSER for already registered water intake points. Mostly positive ratings cause that water intake points continue to be displayed in DOWSER. However, if the negative ratings outweigh, the respective water intake points will no longer be displayed by the DOWSER app. As a future "feature" also the local network operator will be informed. DOWSER thereby is pursuing the vision to not only provide emergency services with a functional tool, but also convinces with comprehensive information about the respective water intake points.  

Trust the DOWSER App when water as a resource becomes the lifesaver. 

DOWSER - When a situation becomes risky...

## Key features

- Map view of water intake points
- List view sorted by distance
- Add new water intake points
- Rate existing water intake points
- View detailed intake point information
- Offline access to data

## Recent user reviews (6 of 6)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dowser/id1086146583/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Hydranten entfernen

*2025-02-08*

Bitte eine Funktion zum entfernen der Hydranten einplanen.

### 2/5 — Fragwürdig

*2023-12-10*

Pluspunkte gibt es dafür:
- Anmeldung ohne Registrierung möglich
- App scheint soweit fehlerfrei zu funktionieren
- Synchronisation der Datenbank scheint funktioniert zu haben, zumindest hat das die Meldung besagt

Abzug gibt es für:
- Es gibt bereits Datenbanken mit Hydranten in der unser Hydrantennetz eingepflegt ist (OSM-Hydrant). In Openfiremap werden diese auch angezeigt.
- In der App sind die Daten nicht verfügbar (Okay, könnte eine rechtliche/Lizenz-Geschichte sein)

Aber: Wenn ich einen neuen Hydrant in diese Datenbank einpflegen möchte, und ich setze das Fadenkreuz auf die Straße, dann sollte die Markierung am Ende auch auf der Straße sein und nicht im Garten vom angrenzenden Grundstück. Nun gibt es nicht mal die Möglichkeit den Eintrag zu bearbeiten oder zu löschen.

Fazit:
Schicker optischer Aufbau der App. Läuft ruckelfrei.
Funktion und Sinn (wenn jeder seine eigene Datenbank erstellt) fragwürdig.
Datenpflege: Mangelhaft.

### 3/5 — Schöner Anfang

*2018-09-11*

Ich wünsche mir für die App noch die Möglichkeit einen Eintrag wieder zu löschen und evtl ein Datum der letzten Prüfung zu hinterlegen. Verschiedene Farben für unterschiedliche Druckzonen wären auch hilfreich.

### 5/5 — 🎉👨🏼‍🚒

*2017-10-30*

Ich finde die App einfach super

### 1/5 — Kostenlos aber...

*2017-10-26*

...die Nachteile überwiegen. Angelegte Hydranten kann man nicht mehr verändern. Defekte Hydranten kann man nicht als solche auf der Karte anzeigen lassen. Die Hydranten werden trotz genauem GPS Signal und richtiger Adresse nach dem erstellen gerne mal 50m neben dem Ziel angezeigt. Somit im Einsatzfall wenn es schnell gehen muss unbrauchbar. Da hilft wohl nur die teure Konkurrenz.

### 2/5 — Halbgar

*2016-10-23*

Die Idee, eine App zum Erfassen und anzeigen von Wasserentnahmestellen zu machen ist gut. ABER: Ein Großteil der Daten scheint aus Openstreetmap übernommen zu sein - ob die mit der App erfassten Daten auch irgendwann dorthin synchronisiert werden ist unklar und wird zu Doppeleinträgen führen, wenn das nicht kontinuierlich gemacht wird. 
Die in Dowser derzeit verwendeten Kartendaten sind zudem zu wenig detailliert, um damit in der Praxis sinnvoll arbeiten zu können. 
Vielleicht sollte man besser komplett auf OSM (Karten- und Hydrantendaten) aufsetzen, anstatt ein halbgares Parallelsystem aufzusetzen.

## Frequently asked questions about Dowser

### What is Dowser used for?

Dowser is a productivity tool designed for emergency services to digitize, locate, and manage water intake points. It provides a map and list view of these points, allowing users to add new ones and rate existing ones.

### Is Dowser free to use?

Yes, Dowser is completely free to use. There are no trial memberships, long-term commitments, or payments required for its use, and its functionality will not be restricted.

### Can I use Dowser offline?

The description implies that the app provides a quick overview on the way to an operation site, suggesting some level of offline functionality for accessing existing data. However, adding or updating points may require a network connection.

### How does Dowser help with emergency operations?

Dowser helps by providing emergency services with a quick overview of available water intake points near an operation site. This allows for faster situational awareness and planning.

### What kind of information can I see about water intake points in Dowser?

For each water intake point, you can view important details such as its nominal diameter, flow rate, type of intake point, and other relevant information.

### How does the rating system in Dowser work?

Users can rate existing water intake points. Positive ratings help keep the points displayed in Dowser, while consistently negative ratings can lead to them being removed from the app's view.

### On which devices can I use Dowser?

Dowser is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices, as indicated by its compatibility with iOS.

### How often is Dowser updated?

The latest version of Dowser is 4.0, and it was last updated on November 23, 2022. This suggests updates are released periodically, though the exact frequency is not specified.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0 — 2022-11-23

User accounts can now be created and linked to the water intakes created on the device.

### 1.0.7 — 2017-10-23

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

- added iOS 11 support

### 1.0.5 — 2016-09-30

- iOS 10 support
- Water intake mains in Germany extended 

Tip: If you are missing your water intakes, please contact dowser@h3ko.de via e-mail

### 1.0.4 — 2016-06-06

- Verschiedene Bugfixes

### 1.0.3 — 2016-06-06

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Dowser

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [OnScene Xplorer 4](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onscene-xplorer-4/id1562927434) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Fireboard Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fireboard-mobile/id1509011225) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Firefighters Emergency](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firefighters-emergency/id1449371878) | 1.0 (2) | Free | Productivity |
| [wasserkarte.info](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wasserkarteinfo/id1245721514) | — | Free | Productivity |

## More apps by h3ko Innovations GmbH

- [ThinkAbout : Controlling](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkabout-controlling/id1472043575)

All apps by h3ko Innovations GmbH: https://appshunter.io/developer/1143540818

## Related topics

[h3ko innovations gmbh](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/h3ko-innovations-gmbh) · [dowser](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dowser) · [dowsing](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dowsing) · [fire hydrant manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fire-hydrant-manager)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*