Many rural homes, farms and holiday cottages across Shropshire, Wales and upland Britain still drink water from a natural spring. Spring water often tastes excellent, but it is shallow groundwater that responds quickly to rain, so it is one of the most common sources of bacterial failures in private supplies. It is also frequently acidic. The good news is that both problems are straightforward to treat.
At a glance
- Typical issues: bacteria, acidity, turbidity after rain, sometimes colour from peat
- Bacteria risk: high, especially after heavy rain and where livestock graze nearby
- Typical treatment: pH correction, sediment filtration, then UV disinfection
How a spring supply works
A spring is where groundwater reaches the surface naturally. The water is usually collected in a buried chamber or spring box, sometimes with a settling chamber, and then piped by gravity or pumped to a storage tank and on to the property. Because the water has often travelled only a short distance underground, it has had less time to be filtered by soil and rock than borehole water.
Look after the catchment, the land around and uphill of the spring. Livestock, slurry spreading, septic tanks and even wildlife in the catchment can all affect quality.
What is typically in spring water?
| Issue | Why it occurs | Treatment |
| E. coli and coliforms | Surface water reaching shallow groundwater, livestock, damaged collection chambers | Sediment filter then UV |
| Low pH | Rainwater passing through peat, moorland and low-limestone rock | pH correction |
| Turbidity | Silt and clay washed in after heavy rain | Sediment filtration; settling chamber |
| Colour | Natural organic matter from peat, giving a tea-coloured tint | Filtration chosen from test results |
| Copper and lead | Acidic water dissolving metals from plumbing | Correct pH; see lead in water |
| Nitrate | Fertiliser or slurry in the catchment | Nitrate reduction |
Protecting your spring
- Fence livestock away from the spring and its collection chamber.
- Make sure the chamber has a tight, lockable lid and the overflow is screened against insects and small animals.
- Divert surface run-off away from the collection point.
- Clean out the collection and storage tanks periodically to remove silt.
- Keep septic tanks and soakaways well away from, and downhill of, the spring.
Rules for spring supplies
A spring is a private water supply under the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016. If it serves only your own home, testing is your responsibility. If it is shared with neighbours, or used for a holiday let, tenancy or business, the local authority must risk assess and sample it. The Drinking Water Inspectorate publishes guidance, and our landlord and business testing page explains what applies.
Testing spring water
Because spring quality changes with the weather, test for bacteria after a spell of heavy rain, when contamination is most likely, rather than in a dry spell. Test at least once a year, and do a full chemical test including pH and metals every few years. See private water supply testing.
A typical spring water treatment system
- Coarse sediment filter or settling chamber to remove silt.
- pH correction to stop acidic water corroding pipework.
- Fine sediment filter so particles cannot shade bacteria from UV light.
- UV disinfection as the final barrier, sized for your peak flow.
Add iron, manganese or nitrate treatment only if the test shows they are needed. Our guide on how to purify well and spring water explains the full sequence.
Related pages
Why Wrekin Water
Wrekin Water is a family run company based in Bettisfield, Shropshire, serving more than 50,000 customers over 15 years and rated Excellent on Trustpilot. Spring supplies are common in our area, and in North Shropshire we can install treatment for you. Ask our team for a recommendation.