Oare Marshes Spring, Faversham, Kent, England  5/5 (1)

8 people follow this spring.
Category: England, View All

Description

Artesian Well in car park.

Nearest Address

Oarse Marshes Nature Reserve car park.

Directions from Nearest Address

N/A

Vital Information

  • Fee: None
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: 260
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

N/A

GPS: N/A

Map Link: Oare Marshes Spring Map

Submitted by: Chelsea

Responses

  1. E January 15, 2023

    Hello everyone, Swale Council were late in getting the testing done in 2022 (due do weather apparently). 2022-23 test results now posted in the Water Test Results tab above.

    Coliform count has come in at 4 mpn/100ml (limit is zero) which means the well has failed to pass the Swale Council test. There is currently a sign up at the well stating that the water needs to be boiled before drinking in case of any bacterial contamination.

    For what it’s worth, I have not been boiling and have not noticed anything untoward, even after storing water for up to a month.

    The colony count after 3 days came back negative on the official test.

    Happy drinking – see you all around sometime!

    Test results for 2021-2022 from Swale Council have been posted in the Water Test Results tab above.

  3. E January 25, 2024

    Happy New Year to all visitors of the artesian well!

    2023-24 test results from Swale Council now posted in the Water Results tabs above.
    – Coliform count is back to zero
    – Fluoride content seems to be gradually creeping up over the years from 0.397mg/l in summer 2021 to 0.416 mg/l in late 2023.

    Gratitude as always to Swale Council and the Find A Spring community. Here’s to another year of our local living libations!

  4. E May 20, 2022

    Test results for 2021-2022 from Swale Council have been posted in the Water Test Results tab above.

    The well is tested every June annually. Results can be obtained from Swale Council under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Hope this helps!!

  6. Philip January 4, 2023

    Hi

    Been drinking this water for several years. Went today and there is a sign up saying that it failed the water quality test on 23/12/22. Sign advises to boil water before consumption

    Any comments appreciated

    Kind regards
    Philip

    1. E January 15, 2023

      Hi Philip,

      If you see my comment above, I have now posted the results from Swale Council in regards to the coliform numbers. I have been continuing to drink everyday as usual and noticed nothing shocking or otherwise. Fluoride has gone up a little from last year though. Now at 0.4mg/litre, which isn’t as high as fluoridated water from the tap would be, but not as low as I’d prefer.

      All the best

  8. Mermangelle October 26, 2011

    went there today, easy to find, easy to park and very lovely fast flowing water. Bird watchers and dog walkers filling up their bottles and I’m still alive half a day later. I’m thinking of a bigger trip with lots of bottles. Nice spot  for a walk after as well. 

  10. Lee Bartlett March 16, 2012

    Have been drinking pretty much only this water for a couple of months now with no problems. It doesn’t seem to quench my thirst like bottled mineral water though. I’d like to get an EC meter and find out how much dissolved salts there are in it. Has anyone already done this?

  18. mary newing March 5, 2019

    I visited on the 29 Dec and it was not flowing. Asked on FB and somebody suggested the pipe had collapsed. As far as i know it is still not working.

    very sad used to get water regularly from here and it was lovely

  21. Marty January 29, 2019

    Hi! Went to this Spring this last Sunday (27 Jan 2019) and ….. no water. My friend when she last went there was no water too. Does anyone know why there is a ‘drought’ at this well which I understand is a continuous spring since the 1700’s?

    Please enlighten me if you can. Thank you,

  24. Caroline December 4, 2016

    Have been getting water from this source for a few years now. Restocked a few days ago; always a delight to visit, and despite very cold day, the water was a pleasure to drink and have running over my hands as I filled demi-john after demi-john.

    1. miranda morland February 16, 2019

      just to let you know went today and the spring has died up nothing coming out….apparently the pipe underground has collapsed really awful as it has been working everday for 150 years….and now nothing hope someone will repair it….or find the proper source of it….

    2. Marty January 29, 2019

      Hi Caroline I have been to this well a couple of times , most recently, this last Sunday (27/01/19) and it has been bone dry.

      I understood that this is meant to be a continuous spring. Any idea why there is a drought at the spring please?

      Can anyone enlighten me?

      Kind regards, Marty

How to Collect Spring Water

Dakota September 28, 2022
12 Comments

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

Written by Dakota Chanel. Water Priestess and Ceremonialist. DakotaChanel.com

Dakota

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