drakeThey have a clean pipe running out from the spring under a wooden awning, near the road.
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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.
I lived in the big house on the hill about a block down the road for several years in the 90s. All of our house’s water came from the same spring. I miss fresh spring & well water. So, was hoping there was another one closer to where I live now, but i guess I’ll be heading back to the old stomping grounds to get something that won’t poison us. When we lived there we had the water tested. It was good. I HATE drinking chlorinated & fluoridated water. I partially grew up there & with well water @ another house. I have never had a cavity. I hate the fluoride propaganda! It’s a waste biproduct from metal production…
You might be scared to drink the water but I see new people every time I go so think if it was gonna hurt you then why do people keep going back and there always friendly I have been drinking that water for years and years my papaw showed my dad and he showed me and ill be showing my son too “just stick your head under there and get you a sip” dad would say. Think about it they sell cancer sticks (cigarettes) in stores for less than a good bottle of mineral water. If the TDS is high that doesn’t mean it’s full of bacteria thats probably minerals. Its an Artesian well if you dont like the PH level DONT DRINK THE WATER!! GO HOME TO YOUR BOTTLED POOL WATER!!
July 16 2018
Just called the Health Dept (865) 215 5208 and the lady that answered said that the water had being tested the week prior and that it tested negative for e.coli and bacteria and that it is safe to drink. Good News!
On 5/1/2017 called Knox County Health Dept and the woman who answered said they test Love’s Creek Springhouse 3 or 4 times a year and the water is safe to drink based on those tests. If anyone wants to confirm recommend calling the health dept at 865-215-5000 and press 4. Also, stop by the springhouse and speak to locals who having been drinking the water for years.
I’ve tested this water on 1-23-17 and the PH was 6.2 and the TDS ( total dissolvable solids) was 270 ppm. 270 is a CRAZY high number. tap water is around 30-50 and thats full of chemicals. i dont believe this water is safe for human consumption. i also tested the creek water that runs along the “spring” and it tested exactly the same 274ppm. im looking into getting it tested for parasites and bacteria. hopefully if its contaminated we can get the city to shut it down. PLEASE always test your water. just because its clear and you think it doesnt taste bad doesnt mean youre not loading your body with parasites.
TDS can be minerals or other organic matter though, doesn’t necessarily mean anything harmful. I did have this spring tested for coliforms/ecoli by a professional lab from sterile container and it tested “below detectable level”. Please post back with any other independent test results.
How much TDS is safe to drink?: the minimum TDS based on some studies should be at least close to 30 ppm – keeps the mineral levels in check. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) fixes the upper limit of TDS in drinking water at 500 ppm.
The ppm could be the natural lime or calcium others have mentioned maybe?
TDS alone is not an indicator of water quality. You have to test in the lab for the solids it’s contains. For example here are 2 test over the years from were I am from on the puplic water system. You will see in one case the TDS is much higher than the 240 reported for this spring.
Ward labs report on Lexington Ky tap water from July 2013.
pH 7.1
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 167
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.28
Cations / Anions, me/L 2.6 / 2.5
Sodium, Na 9
Potassium, K 2
Calcium, Ca 25
Magnesium, Mg 10
Total Hardness, CaCO3 104
Nitrate, NO 3-N 0.2 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO -4S 14
Chloride, Cl 24
Carbonate, CO 3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO 3 53
Total Alkalinity, CaCO 3 44
Lexington KY tap water 2007
pH 7.5
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 326
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.54
Cations / Anions, me/L 5.6 / 5.4
Sodium, Na 18
Potassium, K 4
Calcium, Ca 51
Magnesium, Mg 26
Total Hardness, CaCO 3 236
Nitrate, NO 3-N 0.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO -4S 49
Chloride, Cl 19
Carbonate, CO 3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO 3 112
Total Alkalinity, CaCO 3 92
Any follow-up? Thank you for the great information, I’m new to the area and had access to a great spring at my former home and really miss it.
My husband is a water quality engineer from a reputable company. I was curious and asked him to test the water. The water he tested from February 2016 was full of bacteria. I will have him test again and will post results.
Well good you can tell him and remind your self. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WATER DON’T DRINK IT GO HOME TO YOUR BOTTLED POOL WATER
from the creek or straight off the pipe
Started gathering water from this site a couple of months ago. Water has extremely good flow, is easy to get to, clear and cold. I ran into someone who was collecting water for their father. They said they didn’t drink it themselves but father had for years. They also told me Knox County use to have a sign posted listing dates they tested the water but the sign had disappeared. I contacted the health department of Knox County and the last time they tested it was June 2014. Said the water was clean. Will check back with health department periodically and post results.
I would love to see the results posted here! Thanks so much!
anyone used this water. curious of the water quality
I’ve been drinking from this creek since 1992. It’s the best water in Knoxville ! I had meet people at the creek that were in there 80’s and had been drinking water from the creek since they we’re kids. Sometimes I see a van from a water company in GA that test the water and confirmed that is very good to drink it. Try it you’ll enjoy it like the rest of us:)
I have went since I was a kid ,I am 37 ,I have met people that have drank that water for over 50 years from there stories, I have drank nothing but this water for 7 years a gallon a day , an have never had any health issues ,it was once labeled by the city as one of the cleanest springs in all of Tn
Water is really tasty but there is usually a small line of people.
great spring but homeless and trash nearby needs cleanup
My partner and I gathered this water a number of times 2019-2020. I recently passed the area a couple of times and filled up some 5 gallon jugs. I noticed that after boiling, a film of particulates forms on top. Any idea what this is? I saw one comment that suggested it may just be lime. The water tastes great, but the comments of high levels of radon are a bit worrying. Has anyone tested this recently? Would love to know if it’s a good idea to fill up whenever I pass by again.
Visited this spring just to test the pH and see whether it was alkaline. I used pH strips, so not the most accurate method but the pH came in around 5.5-6> Other people were collecting water when I arrived, I did not collect.
When this water was sampled in late 2017, the radon levels (845 piC/L) were found to be over the recommended limit (300 piC/L). See water test results for reference.
I have enjoyed this spring water for many years. My mother told of taking water from the spring with her granny when she was a child in the 1930s. The well was drilled in the early thirties by the Army Corp of Engineers. It is a deep artisian well is every bit as good as any limestone spring. Like the one at Jack Daniels. Very heavy in minerals, making it delicious but also means that two tea kettles of boiled water will leave a noticeble lime buildup but so what.
The last known test for Loves Creek by the Health Department is 7/10/2017 (as of 12/12/2017). They test 4 times a year.The Health Department was more than willing to email a copy of the results.
If you are interested in staying updated with water testing at Loves Creek Spring in Knoxville see the number
Knox County Health Department
Environmental Health-Groundwater Division
865-215-5208
The Knox County Health Dept.does not recommend or discourage people from drinking this water.It is true that the water is tested from time to time but they make no claims it is pure,or totally safe to drink.The test administered is the same test given to city water supply which doesn’t cover every contaminant possible.It is not tested anywhere near as often as the city water supply and as there are several natural contamanents underground the safety of this water could literally change overnight without your knowledge until you consume it or the contaminates are discovered in a random water test.Not to say it is unsafe to drink but you drink it at your own risk
I live very close to this spring and it is said to be safe to drink and I see a lot of people getting water there.I think it is safe at this time but the safety of a natural springs water can literally change overnight undetected.
I noticed when this water evaporates, it leaves a white powder residue. Someone said it might be calcium. This area shows up to be high in radon which can be absorbed in ground water. Has Love’s Creek EVER been tested for radon?
The powder is more than likely lime. It’s harmless but can be irritating for some. I personally would not drink it. I grew up there but now live in Ohio.
if you google map “Love’s Creek Springhouse” it will take you to the site
The location is actually in google maps, here is a link right to it : )
https://goo.gl/maps/NU4sjGsBEd82
I second the Miriam question above: Can anyone provide more specific directions? One cannot tell much from the map.
Can anyone provide more specific directions? it’s not clear exactly where this is and the “get directions” link doesn’t really provide enough information.