Brian
sean
Right on M-24, about 15 miles north of Lapeer….easy access from main 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.
This spring and the land it sits on we’re donated to the county by my Grandparents
Louis J Thompson & Anna Thompson not sure what year been trying to find that out but my grandparents and my parents are both deceased not sure how to find this out
Thanks to your parents for sharing this water with the public. We appreciate your family.
Visited this spring a couiple days ago. nice flowing ice cold crystal clear water… did a TDS reading.. it was 250.. which is good.
(my tap water here in Fenton is 810)
i ordered some other testing stuff… such as PH iron all that stuff…. and a bacteria test.. for E Coli… will update when tests are done
Your test results look good Sean (hey btw, you are doxing yourself, it is easy to read your last name and address through your scribbles). I had an interesting experience at this spring last weekend. It was my third visit to the spring, and there was an older man there with a pick-up truck who was filling like 4 or 5 5 gallon buckets, and a couple water cooler 5 gallon jugs. He also had a few dozen smaller water and Gatorade bottles he had yet to fill. He was nice and let me fill up my few water bottles I brought so I didnt need to wait for him to finish. It looked like it would take a while. It is clear he uses this water heavily, at least for drinking, but maybe for other things like gardening? I asked him where he was from, and he pointed north on M-24 and said a few miles, so I figure he is from Mayville, or near there. He said he had been coming to this spring for many years. But heres the thing… This guy had some serious neurological issues. He was shaking all over, he could barely talk, and he could barely hear me. Yes, it is absolutly possible him drinking this water so heavily for years and his disorders are un-related, and i know this experience is anecdotal. It does make me feel better that the test results were relativly clean. But the experience still makes me a little nervous. H
Thanks Sean. Looking forward to seeing the results!
i did a basic test… PH is nuetral (7.5) no chemicals, or heavy metals.. ecoli bacteria test was negative.
no lead or mercury.. only slight copper (safe area of my test strip)
0 nitate
0 nitride
0 sulfates
0 chlorine
0 bromine
thinking about sending a sample for more thorough testing as well
zero Iron as well.. forgot that one
ok… i bit the bullet because i really want to know everything about this water…. bought the 200 dollar test from watercheck… it will be a while before the results are in… but i will post the findings when they are back
What did you find out? I have never had fresh spring water and I would like to try it. But I want to be safe
Sean uploaded the comprehensive test he paid to have done. Under the photos of the spring is a tab that says water testing. Click that for all the uploaded water tests.
Went there today. Spring is good. The water is delicious. You just wanna gulp it. But it’s so darn far away, like an hour up Lapeer road. Don’t forget to stop at the Hilltop Market for a $1 slice of pizza, sandwiches or whatever on the way back. Very tasty. It comes up fast just hope you have good brakes. Well worth it to share with your water.
A man at Nutrifoods in Royal Oak told me there is a spring somewhere near the Bald Mountain area. I went to look/ask around for it but no luck. I’m going to have to find him again and clarify off of which road he remembers it.
Whats up everybody? Went ahead and did a test for this spring through AquaTest Labs. Overall it seems pretty good, just one small area of concern and perhaps one larger area of concern. The TDS is 365 which I think is not too bad, but could be a little high. Where I’m most concerned is the fluoride, which is at an “acceptable level” of 1.0ppm. According to EPA, .07ppm or lower is good, .07 – 2.0ppm is acceptable and anything over 4.0ppm fluoride is unacceptable. What do you guys think? Good to go or should grab a fluoride filter?
Total Coliform Bacteria Not Detected 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/13/24 1:43p
E-Coli Bacteria Not Detected 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/13/24 1:43p
Nitrate Not Detected 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/14/24 1:21p
Nitrite Not Detected 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/14/24 1:21p
Arsenic Not Detected 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/14/24 11:35a
Fluoride 1.0 ppm 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/14/24 11:48a
Total Dissolved Solids 365 ppm 2/13/24 11:20a Tapped Spring 2/14/24 11:48a
The first date is when the sample was taken and the second date is when they performed the test.
Blessings of health and healing to you all.
Would anyone be willing to post a picture of your test results and when it was tested? It would be nice to compare everyone’s results and over time.
Has anyone tested this lately? Thanks. I am interested if anyone else is.
43.274714, -83.316650
Coordinates updated. Thank you!
The pin on the location is correct (I’m not sure about the GPS link.. It is located on M24, just North of Barnes Road on the west side.
Hey everyone,
Its not difficult to find.
Take M24 until you pass Barnes lake road.
it is less than 2 miles past, on the left.
I visit and gather water here almost 2 times a month, traveling from Clarkston, it is indeed a great water supply. I test it every time with my TDS meter. ranges from 108-128ppm.
Questions or comments email.
i just want to mention the road is Barnes rd not Barnes Lake
Update: after some contemplation and further research i have personally decided not to drink from this spring due to the presence of fluoride which is a real drag. Flouride is a known neurotoxin and proven to calcify the pineal gland in the brain.
Regarding the surrounding farm fields and the worry of pesticides: Most pesticides vaporize within a few days and are not super mobile. This means they stay locked into the soil and do not make their way into the groundwater. Aquatic pesticides are different, but the typical cash crop farm does not use those on fields. I would claim that you would not need to worry about that. It’s arsenic or other metals you would need to test for, which by reading the comments someone claimed they’ve done? If you’re serious about using this spring spend the cash and get it tested, raw water is more than worth it.
I’m sorry if I missed this somewhere. But is there for sure a SPRING or a WELL? Thank you.
According to Google Earth the street is called Roadside Park Dr, Mayville, MI.
Matt, looking forward to your sample results, however, if the above statements are correct and the spring is tested regularly then looks like we are good to go.
According to Shari’s directions I can see the little shack in the circular drive on Google Earth at coordinates are 43° 16.482’N, 83° 18.996’W. I am going to check it out next time I go to Birch Run or Frankenmuth.
Lisa: Are you trying to mess with our heads or something? If you are heading north on m-24 then you will pass Millington Road and about a mile further north than that you will reach E. Murphy Lake Rd way past the spring. Both are north of the spring. Get your directions right girl.
Tastes pretty good, a little bit irony but seems to be good , last dude who tested I. August says it’s good
I had the water tested for glyphosate also known as roundup a couple of weeks ago. None was detected.
Has anybody been drinking the water from here just seeing if it’s safe? I have gut issues and need good safe water. I seen ppl were testing it and said they were doing further testing but haven’t seen their results. Thanks in advance.
Hello I was just curious if anyone has tested the water?
Went here last year and returned this year on July 4th. The spring is easy to find and the water is good. Unfortunately, it’s quite a long drive from my house, so I can’t make it out there very often.
I have a well in southern Lapeer County and we have arsenic in this area. I would test for arsenic.
Yeah think I’ll send out a sample for testing. Anyone know off hand where I can send it?
wondering if this spring was found and if it was tested as i see the farming nearby I would like to know if pesticides were found in the water
Type “Roadside park drive, Mayville, Mi” in Google maps and it will take you right to it.
Hello, Be aware of children destroying this spring. I was gathering water weeks ago and noticed the lock box was open and the pipe from the ground to the spigot was broken. It’s going to be a hassle for people gathering water, so be on the lookout. Heading out today to see what it looks like and gather the best water ever.
did anyone ever test the water?
Smell of “rotten eggs” comes from either sulphur or iron bacteria, safe for health (to an extent of course), but leave red “rust” stains from too much iron. Enjoy natural water!
I just taste a faint irony taste. Not like the horrible irony taste you get from well water though.
You can pick up a test kit from any health department and send it in for testing.
Hey Guys! Has anyone tested this water yet? its a pretty far drive north for me but I would be willing to make the trip if the water was of good pure quality without chemical residues! Thanks for the efforts!
You might be able to get delivery. Call 812-639-8509. Thanks!
Looks like based on your description Lisa it was where I was told it was. I believe that a sample can be sent to the state for testing.
Found out my babysitter has some local knowledge of this spring. She said that it is on M24 around 1/4 to 1/2 miles south of Millington Rd. I’m gonna go out there within this next week to see if I can find it. I don’t have a tester yet, if I find it I will give better instructions.
The pin location on the map is still inaccurate. The spring is further north and it is very close to M-24 (not in the woods!). If you turn off the aerial view on the map the spring is just north of Evergreen Creek. It is also not technically a Roadside Park and you won’t find Mayville on a list of Michigan Roadside Parks. Just north of Evergreen Creek, turn west off M-24 onto a paved road that immediately becomes a circular drive with the spring in the middle and a roof over it. A local was there at the time I got water (last December) and she said knew of people who came up from Waterford to get water. The water has been tested and the guy who tests water for a living said it is the best water around. I picked up a very slight smell and taste of sulfur, but I liked it. It is certainly better than any water I ever have on a regular basis.
If you have accurate GPS Coordinates, we would love to update 🙂
Hi Ashley, do not have GPS but if you use the address Roadside Park Dr. 48744 in Google Maps, it will take you to the spring. It is north of Barnes Rd. on west side of Lapeer Rd. (Hwy 24).
Have not gone there yet but plan on doing so this month.
Okay, so I don’t know if the map was changed, (before the map pointed towards Murphy Lake rd.. or I seriously am delusional lol) But, I visited the map again and it is the correct location. If you are heading north on M-24, there will be a small road side park after Murphy Lake Rd (on the left side and there is a small blue picnic table road sign prior to the park). If you reach Millington Road, you have gone too far.
The water was cold and okay. It smelled slightly of rotten eggs. Wondering about the quality. Next time I am going to test the TDS and PH… What else can I do to see if this is quality water?
BTW It is surrounded by farming fields. We are a big farming community and pretty sure they use pesticides of some sort. Any ideas or suggestions? I am new to this…
I was not able to locate the spring. A road side park? I could not find anything other than a carpool parking lot. Very interested in finding this spring as it is very near to home.
Tracie, did you find it? Is it a wrong address?
May be off on the map but the address is correct I assume? Gonna go check it out and will report back.
inaccurate location on the map
Do you know the accurate location?