Natural spring water

I´m working with groundwater every day, makes me money to pay my bills. It could be wide range of spring water quality, low pH, high pH, low/high salinity, high dissolved iron, mangan, some polutants from landfills... Only way is to be sure is get water tested, but use your common sense. Does it grow everyvhere around the spring? No waste above the spring? Then it´s O.K.

Today´s special, some man called me, after one year he is using his drilled well with normal cold watter, sudenly watter around 40°C occured. It´s in old tectonics area. Told him- pefect for greenhouse heating.

I have well water, it's a small water company serving about 130 houses, the old well was ghastly, 1200-3000 PPM's out the tap, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, B. The well finally failed (plugged up after an earthquake broke the well casing/sleeve). They drilled a new well, hit much better water, about 200-500 PPM's, mostly Ca, Mg and Mn, but no Fe or Boron. The only ting that's really high is manganese, which is not a health hazard, but can make your hair brittle. PH is a little over 7. I use it for my grows and garden and don't seem to have any issues. But depending on the parent rock the water flows through, well water is quite variable in it's analysis. Most city water has the PH adjusted to slightly alkaline to keep it from eroding the pipes.

Charles U Farley said:

Have watered my plants with nothing but spring water for over 40 years. Where I am here in the Blue Ridge mountains, the spring water has some of the lowest mineral count available. Less chemicals in the water means less chemicals the plants have to deal with

My plants would probably wilt and burn if watered with city water.

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Yes, I’m in the Blue Ridge also!

PopAndSonGrows said:

Wow thats a very low pH for such "clean" water (low PPMs). I'd try to find out what makes the pH so low by checking municipal water info, but, generally speaking, if your water supply isn't caustic then your plants can acclimate to it. I say go for it but still try to find out what makes it so acidic. Tap water usually leans alkaline.

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No, the pH is expected. Ambient CO2 dissolves in water and with no minerals to buffer pH swings it becomes acid. But this is not buffered so adding the least bit of base takes it right back. Nothing to worry about.

Lab grade pure water that sits in a squeeze bottle has about pH 4.

Older thread know, but I’ve been using spring water for my last few grows. I have not had it tested, but it comes from a known mountain spring. PH in low 6’s. Seems to go well. I have a Culligan water softening system which adds a little salt to the water. Can’t taste it, but figure best not to use.

DeadHeadX said:

Older thread know, but I’ve been using spring water for my last few grows. I have not had it tested, but it comes from a known mountain spring. PH in low 6’s. Seems to go well. I have a Culligan water softening system which adds a little salt to the water. Can’t taste it, but figure best not to use.

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Just use the bypass on the softener to get un-softend water for growing.

1212ham said:

Just use the bypass on the softener to get un-softend water for growing.

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Thanks. It’s a system that came with the house we bought a couple years ago; I’m really not sure there’s a clear bypass. There is a spigot on the line leading in and this may well be unfiltered. The system needs a service, which one of these days I’ll set up in part to get this question answered.