A spring is water coming straight up through dirt and is usually surface water.  It is exposed to insects, animals, dirt, weather, runoff, etc.  Springs are almost always going to test positive for bacteria.  Depending on the way the spring is set up it can be chlorinated, but it is more likely to come back than a standard well (and more likely to come back sooner).  The other option is a UV Light (which are typically more expensive to install and must be serviced every year).

If the spring is the water source for the house, there is no difference in the collection procedures. Otherwise the following apply:

• The spring must be on property you own or are looking to  buy.
• There must be a collection point where we can easily fill up a water bottle. You can email or text us a photo if you are unsure.
• The collection point must be safely and easily accessible (ie, not down a bank, or in a thorn thicket, or in poison ivy, etc).
• The collection point must be near the road/driveway/parking area (no more than a 5-10 min walk – not a hike/climb).