Our New Home In Wales Will Be Fed Natural Spring Water For Our Only Water Supply.

[RATTER15]

Are there any health benefits or concerns regarding natural spring water?

Would it be hard or soft water?

[Sqad]

Ratter

\\\Are there any health benefits or concerns\\\

No......

\\\Would it be hard or soft water? \\\

That depends upon the Geology of the area..........wait and till you get there and see how much shower gel you need to get up a lather OR ask someone who lives there.

[Tilly2]

If the water filters down from Snowdonia, I think it will be very soft.

[jamesnan]

We have friends who live in Wales in the same situation, and one of the things which I know she is very strict on, is the absolute non-use of any kind of pesticide, weed killer etc being used on the garden in case it makes its way into the water supply. They were in the situation of having no running water for several months when the water froze during a very cold spell several years ago, and had to resort to buying lots of bottled water, and recycling almost every drop, to the extent of flushing the toilet only when absolutely necessary. They have several small ponds in the grounds and broke pieces of ice to melt in buckets to use to flush the toilet. They went to the local town to use the launderette, and the water there was frozen as well, so clothes were worn for longer than usual!
They went to stay with friends out of the area mainly so that they could have a shower instead of a wash!

[WyeDyed]

The water is very soft here, your kettle will never fur up.

[Sqad]

Useful and practical answer by jamesnan.

[gingejbee]

Depending on location, most likely very soft - so make sure there are no lead pipes.
If this is the only supply, it should be tested bacteriologically at regular intervals - spring supplies can become contaminated by animals.

[gingejbee]

jamesnan's friends may have a well on their property, rather than the spring supply that RATTER mentions. Different situation, different problems.

[tamborine]

Look for shrimps thru microscope. Water Board consider them a health hazard

[RATTER15]

Cool, not much to worry about then, we have soft water where we are now so would hate to go to hard water.

Thanks guys.

[gingejbee]

tambo - there are NO water boards now. The fresh-water shrimps that you refer to, are NOT found in spring supplies in Wales (they come from river-derived supplies). And they are NOT a health hazard.

[boxtops]

Lucky you, ratter - you'd pay shedloads for that it if it had been bottled at source and sold in the supermarket :-)

[RATTER15]

Lol Boxy, I see a business opportunity there somewhere!

[pixie373]

Delboy!

[237SJ]

My friend`s farm in North Devon was fed by a spring on their land. They didn`t have to pay for water rates but they had to pay some sort of environmental rate. The water tasted like nectar but it did leave a very strange green stain on their bath. I always wondered what that was. I`m not sure what the health benefits were (negliable I would think) but it sure did help a hangover (which I always did have when I stayed there)

[gingejbee]

237: the water was probably very soft and very soft water dissolves metals easily. The green stain in the bath was caused by copper ions in the water from the copper pipes.

[RATTER15]

237SJ, all our water is completely free, unfortunately we have a septic tank that needs emptying every 3 to 5 years.

[237SJ]

Probably gingeibee but I also lived in N Devon and we had copper pipes but the water didn`t turn our bath green. I agree that the water was very soft though.

[237SJ]

Will you miss North Devon Ratter?

[gingejbee]

It often happens under the hot tap and is more obvious if the tap drips !