Spring Water

[NorTracNY]

Does anyone have experience with a spring water source for a house and barn? We are looking at a house which has a spring water source. The current owner has only lived at the place for a few years, but the place is about 20 years old. He says it has never run dry on him and he said the prior owner had many more animals. There is a filter of some sort at the house. The current owner didn't really know how long the pipe is, or where it starts on the property.

He has never had the water tested. Any thoughts? At the very least, I'd like to have the water tested as part of any offer. There is no option for municipal water.

 

[ponytug]

The details matter. I've known good springs and contaminated ones, and springs with good water and bad spring boxes. A great deal depends on the local geology, and where the water is coming from, e.g. a big chicken farm or a dairy pasture, or large concentration of deer above the spring.

If it were me, I would the spring tested for bacteria, humic/tannin, hardness, trace elements, and for nitrates. If you get a positive on nitrates or trace metals, I would test for organic chemicals.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

The well for the house on our family homestead is a big concrete vault about 12'x16', resting on ledge. We pumped it dry to clean it back around 1976 and added a layer of stone.
Water came out of the ledge in 3 places. At one time it fed 2 houses plus a 1/4 acre of greenhouses and never went dry.
Yet it won't pass a water test. Instead it has an ultraviolet purifying system plus another filter to treat the hard water.

My well is a tile setting above ledge. I had it dug down to ledge and added 10 yards of stone.
It has never gone dry but won't pass a water test. I buy water for drinking and cooking. I probably shouldn't do dishes with it but I do.
I have 2 filters in back of the water pump and an ultraviolet purifier which I haven't gotten around to hooking up. I also need to set another tile and backfill it better... when it started after this years drought the water got cloudy.

I wouldn't call it a well until it passes a water test. Until then it's just a hole in the ground which fills up with water.

 

[steve tym]

You should know where the source is, at some point, it will need attention.
Do a water test and install an ultra violet light regardless of the test results.
Because it's a "spring" shouldn't make it a deal breaker, but some of the details might.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

What everyone else said.
Most of the spring wells around here, that never went dry, went dry this year with our extended draught. Some are still only getting a trickle, winter won't be easy. Maybe I'm spoiled, but to me, water is very essential to quality of life. While I'm capable, I don't ever want to struggle with water.
Knowing the source is key for maintenance, as well as protecting your water rights, if it is off your property. If so, is it deeded?
Personally, I would make sacrifices to put in a drilled well.

 

[Oaktree]

The house I live in now has a spring well, it's gotten low a couple times (including this past Sept.), but hasn't gone dry in the 20 years we've lived here. Never had it tested, no ill effects.

 

[LouNY]

Many banks will not make a mortgage on a spring fed or dug well water system if aware of it.
Most so called spring wells have been "improved" at some time or point, at least a barrel or some type of reservoir often stone filled and buried.

 

[Tinhack]

Just keep in mind that filters do nothing for water hardness (dissolved solids). And get the water tested before consuming.

 

[ponytug]

Many banks will not make a mortgage on a spring fed or dug well water system if aware of it.
Most so called spring wells have been "improved" at some time or point, at least a barrel or some type of reservoir often stone filled and buried.

There's a "spring" well near here that is an 8' long 12" diameter barrel, complete with steel bands sunk about 11' into the ground. As the soil is a soft slippery clay, each time I see it, I think of what an accomplishment it was to have dug it out 100+ years go. It still waters the local animals and cows. (And horses) It always makes me smile at the craftsmanship.

All the best,

Peter

 

[NorTracNY]

Thank you very much for all the replies. This is an Amish home with no electricity, so I already know that some banks will not be willing to give me a mortgage. I have found one that does them. I guess I will look for drillers in the area to get their take on the price to put in a well once electricity is at the house. It's a nice place, but there's a fair amount of "English" upgrades needed which are adding up.

 

[Stimw]

Depending on what is available in your area, county health departments can offer water testing, usually for a fee.
The scary thing is they must have the exact location of the test water, if it has real problems they might condemn the water source.

 

[oosik]

I have a spring that has served as a sole source since 1892. It was the sole source for the homesteader and improved to serve the house we built here in 1982.

I had it tested in 1983. OK for all things bacterial - a tad hard for chemicals. I've never considered adding anything to filter or chemically treat this water.

Using this wonderful spring water sure sours me on "city water".

 

[NorTracNY]

I spoke to a driller in the area. He had good and bad news. The area has been hit or miss on finding the water. He has gone 300-400' and only found gas. The good news is that he believes the springs in the area are good and he could set up a 400gallon tank, filter, uv, and pump to increase pressure for less than one attempt of drilling. I have a few calls in to see if anyone else knows of any issues with springs in the area.

 

[brewdog]

I have a spring that I dug out. Water tested very good so I went ahead and buried a 1000 gallon tank prepared the feeder area with 4”pipe and river gravel from a couple feed sources. I lose more water than I’m able to capture due to the depth of the springs. I would highly recommend putting in 2,000 or a 2,500 gallon tank for a family. I installed a submersible pump from inside the tank to the house and up to the barn with 1” poly pipe. In the house I Installed Two 1 micron large filters and a carbon filter ahead of the UV light filter. The spring water tested at 2 grains iron hardness. Installed a reverse osmosis filter system for showers and clothes that recycles every 28 days.
Lately we've had very dry summers. In late August, I’ve had to switch over to my well for a week or so until the spring begins to flow again. My iron hardness in the well is high a 50 grains of iron so I added an iron filter to pre-filter the water before it goes through the reverse osmosis system. We don’t notice muchh of a change for the couple weeks we need it during a period of drought. Some years we never have to switch over. I only have a 1 micron filter in the pole barn. We don’t drink the water in the barn, although we have in the past without issue.

I’m able to switch from the spring to the well in the basement with valves. Both pumps (well and spring) are the same voltage so I unplug one and plug in the other to switch over.

I’m able to monitor the depth of the spring water in the tank with level monitor that WIFI connects and lets me know if there are large or sudden drops in level. It’s going on 5 years old and works great. We love the spring water so much better than the old well water.

 

[ponytug]

I have a spring that I dug out. Water tested very good so I went ahead and buried a 1000 gallon tank prepared the feeder area with 4”pipe and river gravel from a couple feed sources. I lose more water than I’m able to capture due to the depth of the springs. I would highly recommend putting in 2,000 or a 2,500 gallon tank for a family. I installed a submersible pump from inside the tank to the house and up to the barn with 1” poly pipe. In the house I Installed Two 1 micron large filters and a carbon filter ahead of the UV light filter. The spring water tested at 2 grains iron hardness. Installed a reverse osmosis filter system for showers and clothes that recycles every 28 days.
Lately we've had very dry summers. In late August, I’ve had to switch over to my well for a week or so until the spring begins to flow again. My iron hardness in the well is high a 50 grains of iron so I added an iron filter to pre-filter the water before it goes through the reverse osmosis system. We don’t notice muchh of a change for the couple weeks we need it during a period of drought. Some years we never have to switch over. I only have a 1 micron filter in the pole barn. We don’t drink the water in the barn, although we have in the past without issue.

I’m able to switch from the spring to the well in the basement with valves. Both pumps (well and spring) are the same voltage so I unplug one and plug in the other to switch over.

I’m able to monitor the depth of the spring water in the tank with level monitor that WIFI connects and lets me know if there are large or sudden drops in level. It’s going on 5 years old and works great. We love the spring water so much better than the old well water.

@brewdog How do you have your RO set up? What does your RO recycling mean? Just curious.

All the best,

Peter

 

[fishheadbob]

WNY also. Our well is fed by 3 springs. We had it drilled 47 years ago after we had lived here a while so it was never tested for bacteria etc. but 47 years is a pretty good test right there. No filters, no R.O. At one time it supplied water for 25 cows, 3 teenagers, and 2 adults without issue. Why did we drill when we already had 5 wells ? Because all the original 5 were low producers. How did we know to drill where there were 3 springs waiting to be tapped ? Blind luck. This is a large well; 16 inch diameter, 50 feet deep. The lowest of the 3 springs is about 13 feet down, the rest of the volume is reservoir. Last summer was as droughty as it ever gets. I looked into the well in September, it was down maybe 8 feet from ground level. You didn't ask but Ehmke.

 

[Oaktree]

I have a spring that has served as a sole source since 1892. It was the sole source for the homesteader and improved to serve the house we built here in 1982.

I had it tested in 1983. OK for all things bacterial - a tad hard for chemicals. I've never considered adding anything to filter or chemically treat this water.

Using this wonderful spring water sure sours me on "city water".

I don't know when my well was dug, but the house has been here almost 200 years. Never had it tested, but we've been here 20 years with no ill effects, previous owner was in her 90s when she died so it can't be too bad. Nothing but woods for a good 1/2 mile in any direction.
I hear ya on city water!!

Depending on what is available in your area, county health departments can offer water testing, usually for a fee.
The scary thing is they must have the exact location of the test water, if it has real problems they might condemn the water source.

That's a concern of mine too. The state offered free water testing this past summer, but I passed on it, partly for that reason, partly because the level was low due to drought which may have skewed the results.

 

[Jstpssng]

the level was low due to drought which may have skewed the results.

I'm seeing that here. My inline filters suddenly turned brown this fall when it started raining. I just have a dug well 1 tile deep. I need to add another tile, then backfill enough so that rainwater runs away. Then I will hook up my purifier.