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.
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.
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We take our own pictures pipe to reach back in there. Otherwise it’s way too hard to fill up as many gallons as we do. 😉
Darned autocorrect! PVC pipe.
Cynthia Added Grimes Spring Big Sur to favorites 2 years ago
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Lisa
My partner and I have been drinking this water daily since late 2019. It tastes amazing! It is our sole source of drinking water (unless we can’t get to it due to mudslides closing the highway). Had it tested by National Testing Laboratories (800) 458-0330 in December 2022. This is very good quality water, no contaminants were detected. Noteworthy data: high calcium (49 mg/L), magnesium (6.39 mg/L), silica (18.7 mg/L), sodium (14 mg/L), strontium (0.085 mg/L). The pH measured 8.0. I’m happy to share more data as requested.
Hi Cynthia, are you still using this water spring? I tried it out for the first time yesterday, Sept 2 2024. My first time trying a water spring. The water tastes great. Any chance you could share more data of the water? Thanks.
Just got my first wild water ever from this spring today. It’s been raining lately and I got 5 gallons in 2 minutes. Right now there is a white pvc pipe sticking straight out that someone set up to help capture water, also makes it easier to see from the road. Water is crystal clear. Apparently many locals drink this water regularly.
I visited this spring on Sunday, 11/24/19. Filled up several 16oz water bottles very quickly; there’s no pipe, but someone dug out a place to fit water bottles into while the water pours down over some assembled rocks, like a little fountain. Have been drinking the water for days, tastes great and crystal clear. Beautiful spot to visit. Found it by counting the miles down from the ranger station (4.3), then listening for running water; you can spot it easily by looking for the puddles/damp spot along the otherwise dry cliffside, where some lovely greenery blooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI92j6-NB1U&feature=youtu.be
As of May 2022 the spring is still there, though there’s no pipe. I don’t live in California, so I’d like to clarify the directions a bit for anyone who isn’t familiar with the Big Sur area. The spring is in a crevice on the mountain side of hwy 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), 4.3 miles SOUTH of the Big Sur Ranger Station, 1.2 miles SOUTH of Big Sur Inn, .3 miles NORTH of Grimes Point Scenic Overlook, and 1 mile NORTH of COAST Big Sur cafe and gallery.
The map here is pretty dead on, and the photo I’ve taken is from the large oceanside pullout south of the spring looking north toward it. The trees on the other side of the guardrail shade the culvert pipe below the road, which you can clearly hear spilling water constantly. There are pullout spaces on either side of the road, though the widest are oceanside. The water itself pours from the mountainside rocks low inside a crevice/short cave, and you have to reach pretty far in to get to it. Bring a smaller gallon-sized container to collect water if you’re going to fill a larger multi-gallon container. I would not recommend gathering water from the culvert below the road, seeing how the water flows next to the asphalt in open air and then drains down into the culvert.
Ginny’s directions are the best ever: “…when you pass the Big Sur Station set your odometer to zero and the spring will be at 4.3 miles south of Big Sur Station. It really is literally alongside the hwy. Just past it is a turn-out on the right. Right across from it you will hear water falling from a pipe that goes under the road (from the spring) and pours down the mountain and out to sea. Surfers bathe under it. So roll your windows down and listen as you get close. There are some small pipes coming out of it to help with collection. The water is running fast now! ”
Collected water today 7/21/2018, water was flowing over a gallon a minute. I got about 15 gallons in 10 minutes. The Water is GOOD!!! Thank you Ginny for the excellent directions.
The spring is running pretty slow now. It takes 3 minutes to fill one gallon. But it works! And it’s free!
anyone know how this one is doing these days?
I was just there 2 weeks ago and it is running fine! Filled up 70 gallons in under 3 hours.
Spring is 4.3 miles from Big Sur Station. It is not very cold at about 67 degrees F. It tastes good though! There is no pipe, the water comes right out the rocks and we filled our 2 quart container in about 1 minute.
Yes, my partner and I have been collecting water from here since 2019 and it is fantastic!
We just drove by this. Didn’t get pa photo but it looks like it’s been recently bulldozed. It was heartbreaking. Can someone else please check?
Went to this spring for the first time in Sept 2024. Filled up 13 gallons in less than 5 minutes. My first time at the spring so it was tricky to figure it out, but once we did it fills up water pretty quickly, and taste delicious. Drinking my coffee with it now and it’s so good.
Filled up 4 gallons here on the summer solstice! ? (6/21/23) took me about 10 minutes. The pipe is missing now, so you have to collect trickling water from the side of the rock, which is a bit slow. Deeper into the “cave” is a more active flowing source, thought I couldn’t reach it with my arm alone. Next time I may bring my own half pvc pipe to make water collection a little faster for larger quantities. Pro tip if you come at sunset—the ocean view across the street is heaven! 🙂
My partner and I have been drinking it daily for 3 years now. It tastes amazing!
Wondering how this water is now, post fire? Is it still clean? Should I test it before drinking (not sure how). I’ve never foraged for water before, but have always wanted to, and with what’s happening re: water, Standing Rock, I feel called to do so. Thanks!
Ginny, Thanks for the great directions! Foraged for spring water for the first time today. TDS reading of 173. Still learning how to test water quality but it seems pretty great to me so far. Water is warm as Ginny noted – approx 65 degrees Farenheit. Curious to learn more about this particular spring and any others close by.
Hi guys, i just went to my local spring in santa cruz, it took 1 hour to get 1 galloon. Im really interested in coming out to big sur, i have sensitivities to the filtered/tap waters.. please help me with a more descriptive location of this. Like maybe what to look for or tips on ho wto notice it. Is it literally right alongside the hwy? etc.. Thank you so much !!
Anyaleese, when you pass the Big Sur Station set your odometer to zero and the spring will be at 4.3 miles south of Big Sur Station. It really is literally alongside the hwy. Just past it is a turn-out on the right. Right across from it you will hear water falling from a pipe that goes under the road (from the spring) and pours down the mountain and out to sea. Surfers bathe under it. So roll your windows down and listen as you get close. There are some small pipes coming out of it to help with collection. The water is running fast now! 70 gallons in less than an hour. I have some pictures of it at https://www.facebook.com/Monterey-Area-Spring-Water-Wild-Food-and-Foraging-732198880172376/.
Great find along east side of hwy 1.
Need better directions…got conflicting info here. 4.5 miles would be at Ventana Inn…is that correct? Is there any markers to make it more obvious, since the scenery is very similar.
GINNY, is that 4.3 miles north or south of the Big Sur station? Thanks.
Good point Jeff! It is south of the station.
the mapquest location is incorrect for grimes spring big sur
Possible for you to get a correct GPS for us so we can update? That would be wonderful and we would greatly appreciate making it accurate 🙂
Sorry I don’t have a GPS!
Here is a google street view of the exact spring location:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.2085942,-121.7362009,3a,15y,33.98h,77.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbVc-Qm6A8ikcAHZbT_4pRg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192