http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/columbia/newleb/leb_springs.htm
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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.
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.
We have visited this spring many times & often encounter others gathering water. Of the 2 springs in MA, 3 in CT & 1 in VT we have drank from this is our favorite water. This liquid has a creamy almost milk like quality to it & my cat seems to love it as well. Even a woman we saw one day said it’s her cat’s fave as well. This location is on a steep hill by an old motel. The location has a spout by the road (with a separate parking area which can get dicey in rough weather as it’s unpaved) & there’s also water cascading heavily further “upstream”. This is a sacred place & one can really feel it when visiting. When water id referred to as “the lifeforce” this is the water they speak of.
Stopped today 10/27/22 – new sign says water not potable and has been turned off. Will miss this spring.
I went there few days ago as well and was surprised they closed it. Where can I found out what’s the reason behind it?
Just visited today & someone who lives at that old motel told me to be careful cuz the woman who owns the land is a lil crazy & put up the no trespassing signs because she’s worried about getting sued if someone were to get sick from the water (say a dead animal falls into the well or whatever in the shed). There is a camera on the street side door of the shed that she can watch from her house, the lady told me she may call the cops & to collect water from the opposite side so the camera can’t see you. Sounds like her husband advocated for the spring being open to the public & sadly he recently passed and she does like the “risk”. The woman told me to there’s a spout down the hill in town & the water is run through a UV filter. I should have asked where although it sounded like she wasn’t sure exactly where. Anyway we still got about 29 gallons
Hey all, I came here to check on this spring and see if anyone has visited since. I know a lot about it since I made a documentary about it 10 years ago. It’s actually illegal for it to be closed. It has protected public access by the supreme court. It is potable considering the water is naturally carbonated. People have been drinking from it forever and it is a historic sacred Stockbridge Munsee Mohican site. The person who owns the property legally needs to keep it open, so they should be going to court over this. However, I’m not sure how it works over who can sue. The historic society of New Lebanon is very passionate about the spring, so I hope they are somehow involved/aware this has happened (if it is a permanent thing). There used to be two spouts for drinking water. There is a statue of a Mohican placed near the town hall. That one was only shut down due to the statue itself becoming unsanitary. I highly recommend fighting to keep this spring open and I will check in on here if anyone is taking action. Thank you for caring about the water.
I’d be interested to see your documentary. I live near the springs. Could you provide a link to find it?
As I understand, an older couple from Pittsfield, MA own the property. Last year her husband died and once the remaining owner was in charge she chose to shut down public access to the spring. We’ve been getting our water there for several years and it’s been great quality. Now there are posts claiming the “water is not safe for human consumption”. The land all around has no trespassing signs and all of the prior flowing pipes have been removed or shut off. We spoke with a resident of the old hotel across the street. She told us that their building has its water supply from that spring and it’s fine.She’s the source of the owner action information. It’s a shame as the water has been used for hundreds of years, dating back to Colonial times and to the Mahican tribe prior to that.
I visited this spring many times. I have some pictures.
Hello there,
Could you kindly share some information and photos of this thermal spring? Thank-you!