Johnson Spring, Lafayette, TN  3/5 (2)

12 people follow this spring.

Description

Plastic pipes have been put in and it is right off the road and VERY easy to get the water. It is free-flowing and cold. Nestle bottles their water in that county and my husband’s grandfather would drive there to get his water even though he had a spring on his own land. He said it was the best in the area for taste.

Nearest Address

New Bethel Road where it intersects with Long Creek Road. It actually intersects two times but it is the northernmost intersection and there is a large red barn on the corner.

Directions from Nearest Address

It can be a bit hard to locate but if you follow the nearest address section you will find it.

Vital Information

  • Fee: No Fee
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: 6.8 – 7.0

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS: N/A

Submitted by: Karyn Kirtland

Responses

  1. Blake, I am so glad to hear you had it tested. I had wanted to do that, but didn’t get around to it and given that the spring is so cold, I was not all THAT worried about it. I drive up from Nashville to get the water and my only concern is leaving it sitting in bottles for the many weeks is sits around here.

  2. Has anyone been recent? I went about a month ago, and the pipes were not connected anymore, and unable to get the water. I am hoping someone can answer this before I make the trip! Thanks in advance!

    1. I was there just a couple days ago. The pipe is connected and the water is running just fine. I haven’t tested the water, I was just going off of when it was last tested, which through the comments was this past June, so that may have changed. It tastes clean and good and I’ve had no problems so far!

  3. Drove up from nashville and found the water to be yellowish in color. Not sure if that’s normal but it was definitely disappointing. I tried both the roadside pvc and the one farther up the hill, same result. If anyone has anymore info please let me know.

    1. Always a possibility.If this is the same spring I have known for 63 years I haven’t drink from for 20 plus years. It’s just off Long Creek RD. TURN left at bottom of hill considering one going in from HWY 52 at stop light and onto Long Creek Rd. or by the New Bethel Rd. That Property was in my Step fathers family so I’ve drink from it many times. However, now without having several test done at certain times I would think twice. There have been many homes built on the long creek road with normal home sewer systems above it. I knew a family that had a very sick child in the late 60’s that was on a new well with new house. When Vanderbuilt diagnosed problem they had well checked. It was determined a few short minutes after the commode was flushed one could hear water pouring into well. Since she was only one sick one has to assume she just happened to drink at right time. Outside of that yes it’s very cold on hottest day and did taste great. Charles Bowman

    1. karen, there is a spring on 11E/11W as you travel from blountville towards kingsport. If you are headed towards kingsport it’s on the left side of the road, it is coming from a white pipe & people have left a white plastic bag tied to one of the bushes to mark it. Be careful as you will pass it & not realize it.

  4. Just went to this spring yesterday, and it’s fantastic. Definitely not the easiest spring to find, but the picture definitely helped–as soon as I saw the spring, I recognized it from the photo.

    Thanks for this resource and this website! Does anyone know of any other springs that might be a little closer to Nashville?

    1. I am glad you were able to find it. I too live in Nashville and it is quite a drive for water. I only go when I want to take a drive anyway. I did visit the one on the east side of Cookeville and it was close to the road and easy to get to though the area was hit hard and all the trees are down.

      1. Can’t say all is still there but if exploring try Hidden Valley just outside Cookeville. I was there in 1980/81 school yr. That’s one I’d love to own. A person should only use glass with good seal. Blake PH is not the thing to worry about so much. Containment’s are.. After/during a heavy rain over a period of time and several samples tested by someone like Nestle (for everything) would tell the facts. Pool test wil give PH.

  5. This water is very good and pristine. I have tested the pH of this and it is between 6.8 – 7.0. It is very good has road side access. It can be a bit hard to locate but if you follow the nearest address section you will find it. I plan on testing it for many other things and I will post the results as I find them.

    Thanks for this great site!

    1. Blake, where did you have the water tested. This spring is close to me. I would love to get the water there but after reading the above comments on someone getting sick I would like to have it tested somewhere

  6. My wife and I visited this spring today. We were challenged to find it because Google maps did not understand the coordinates posted above. That said, the coordinates are spot on. We manually navigated to the site and found it very easy to locate after seeing the large red barn at the bottom of Long Creek Road. There were a pair of bobcats clearing the trees from the side of the road, making the site more easily accessible. We chose to fill our container up the hill at the blue barrel pipe, however there is an extension that is available at the roadside. It appears this site is being improved to make it easier for people to access. We will revisit soon. With that said, the water was cold, clear, and very refreshing. Glad we found this.

  7. Total coliform bacteria (1203 MPN/100mL) and E. coli (20 MPN/100mL) were found in this water when tested in 2017. See water test results for more details.

    1. I went up there today. It was the same as comments. Easy to get to and very cold water. PH tested at 7.1 and PPM tested at 120 ppm. Nice clean water

  8. So i went by today and filled 6 jugs worth. I’m gonna go ahead and say the waters ok cause sum1 connected a pvc pipe to a tank that feeds their house… not sure what to say about that. I drank the water and im ok. If i get sick or experience unexpected limb growth, I’ll reply to my post. Otherwise, g2g.

    1. Ok so i have almost finished my water. Drank it straight, cooked with it, gave it to my pets. No issues. 2 jugs left. I’ll make the drive 4 another 6 jug refil when im done.

  9. Did someone ever get this water thru a chemical test? We have well water but I recently found out the state is dumping flouride, among other things, into our water source.

How to Collect Spring Water

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.

Would NOT recommend

This spring is routed through a very long and very filthy flexible pipe with multiple corroded and moldy connections. I hiked up the small hill to see if there was another access point only to find that before it goes through the flexible pipe, it first goes through a large plastic cistern that is FULL of mold and filth. I personally would not chance it with this water. It needs major attention.

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Uploaded Water Tests

  • Water Test Result uploaded by Judy Profile Photo Judy on September 1st, 2022
  • Water Test Result uploaded by Judy Profile Photo Judy on September 1st, 2022
  • Water Test Result uploaded by Judy Profile Photo Judy on September 1st, 2022
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