Driving the back roads, where there is no cell service, there was a notion that there are not too many English words for water. We know the Latin word aqua as a noun and the Greek word hydro as a prefix.
But there is a lot of water out there.
There are many types of described water. Well water, bottled water, distilled, polluted and spring water to name a few. Clear, sparkling spring water conjures up an image of the gurgling bubbly source where it originates.
Water is a basic necessity, needed to maintain a healthy body. We know about the effects of dehydration especially with the recent heat dome. About 60 per cent of your body is water, and you must constantly replenish the supply. No one seems to know what our intake should be. A purported daily standard was once those eight, eight-ounce glasses, which always seemed like a lot. Some of us don’t like water from a tap; many others have stopped purchasing bottled water, shunning plastic.
Water quality has become a health topic. Water from a natural spring is considered to contain a beneficial level of minerals. Springs seemingly and conveniently are located along the side of a back road.
Lisa Robinson is the Chief of Wolf Lake First Nation (I was once her teacher, and proud of her). She helped explain the Indigenous cultural significance of water.
“Water is life. It is an essence with spirit and energy which flows through all of life, including us. In spring when streams awaken from their winter slumber, the sound of running water is a melody that is welcomed after a long winter silence. As it flows, it reminds us of how powerful it can be rushing, but also how it sustains us, bringing to life plants and trees.
“Water from springs is even more special, cold and crisp, refreshing as it comes directly from the Earth. I was once told by an Elder to go down to the lake and let the water take your worries away! Water is life. It's more than just a necessity; it's a spirit that courses through the veins of mother earth that we must connect with and protect."
What is a spring?
Could be the back roads trails to the springs became the main roads by water purpose? People have always looked for potable water. The search continues as many area residents make it a regular habit to visit a natural spring to fill their jugs.
“A spring is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground,” said Professor Emeritus Larry Dyke, Queen’s University and retired from the Geological Survey of Canada. He is a surficial geologist. “A spring is a site where the aquifer surface meets the ground surface.”
At the same time he said, “Groundwater tends to maintain a relatively long-term average temperature of its aquifer; so flow from a spring may be cooler than a summer day, but remain unfrozen in the winter; it is a tell-tale sign when you see water flowing along the side of a back road.”
What you will see at a local spring is a potpourri of “MacGyver” installations (from the TV show 1985-1992). You will be amazed at the various types and lengths of pipes, piles of rocks; often a round concrete tile covering the source. Sometimes there is some sort of protective covering with a lid. And local signage. The quality of the water is important to the local patron.
Part of the attraction for spring water is that it has moved from a protective, underground source, supposedly free of contaminants and is naturally filtered.
Or is it? It's basically tap water without the chlorine. It's really not much different than many spring waters. It comes from a “natural” source, goes through minimal filtration, and is then bottled and shipped to market.
Rocks give water flavour and even carbon dioxide bubbles, depending on the nature of the geology through which it passes. This is why spring water is often bottled and sold as mineral water, although the term is often the subject of deceptive advertising.
Go to the Canadian Beverage Association’s site and look at the various definitions.
If your bottle says “spring water” on it, it means it should be the same as if you went to the spring and bottled it yourself. Of course, many companies often treat the spring water after collection, to remove any particles or debris that might be found in the water.
Caution
Still wondering if spring water is all that great? Some health practitioners say spring water can also serve as a detox to help flush out toxins — especially if you’re looking for an end to a love-affair with sugary drinks. Consume more water and you will become much healthier, goes an old wives' tale. Drink a glass of water before meals and you will eat less goes another. Such prescriptions seem sensible.
One of the key benefits of natural spring water is that it comes from water that flows to the surface from a clean underground water source. Thus, the water is considered to be free of most contaminants typically found in drinking water. It also contains a level of minerals that is beneficial to health for most living things. Mineral-rich water will usually have a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Drinking alkaline water will help to neutralize acidity in the body and can reduce the amount of free radical damage. It will also help to keep bones and teeth strong and dense. Many people who drink spring water do so because the water has such a clean, refreshing taste that is unequaled by other waters. People generally tend to drink more water if it tastes good.
Boil it?
Contact was made with the three health units in northeastern Ontario.
Ayotunde Alab, Environmental Health Team, North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit, stated, “I would like to mention that natural spring water is untreated surface water that flows through rock materials and would have potentially been in contact with many organic materials as it navigates or cascades naturally down a path.
“There is therefore a likely chance for it to be contaminated with pathogens that may cause illness. Bacteria, viruses, and parasites in water are not visible to the naked eye and people should therefore be advised not to drink this water without further treatment."
She said with the ever-changing seasonal times, there is a greater possibility for other water sources that may likely come into contact with the spring water i.e. runoffs from various areas.
Sage advice from Ayo: “If people choose to drink spring water, I would advise that they keep it on a rolling boil for an additional one minute after reaching boiling point prior to consumption.”
From the Temiskaming District Health Unit’s website more advice: “Natural or roadside springs are not routinely tested or monitored for chemicals and bacteria. Also, they are generally not adequately constructed to protect against surface contaminants and therefore are not considered to be reliable and safe water source.
“Drinking water obtained from a municipal water system or a properly constructed, maintained and monitored private well are considered safer options than natural or roadside springs. Using a natural or roadside spring as a source of drinking water is not a safe option.“
Some springs in the Temiskaming region are posted with warning signs.
On the Algoma Public Health site there is little information on springs but a great deal on water quality standards.
Locations
We hear so much about local food, what about “local water?”
There are at least two websites solely devoted to promoting and locating springs. The first is Find A Spring (Watch this YouTube video for spring water appreciation.
In their introduction it states: “The water we drink begins entering our bloodstream in about 5 minutes. At the molecular level, we are over 99 per cent water. This liquid can either be the foundation of our health or sickness depending on the quality. There is much debate about the best kind of water to drink.”
On their locator map there are 15 springs located in northern Ontario. But there are way more than that.
The second site is Alive Water. On their YouTube channel there are 23 videos on spring water. On their international spring map they have the same 15 spring locations.
Attention was directed to one of the founders, Dakota Chanel. She is an ordained water priestess and ceremonialist with over a decade of experience. “She specializes in water temple arts, relationships, and sanctified sexuality. Dakota is the founder of the Water Priestess Mystery School and Worship ceremonies for lovers.”
There is a “six-month deep dive into the magic of water and divine feminine rites of passage.”
My queries were not returned.
Both sites have a user-created database of natural springs around the world. If you know of a spring that is not on the map or in the database, click on Submit a Spring. It appears northern Ontario has very few springs, which is not true. So spring into action and submit and protect our wild water.
But here is the back roads map with visited spring locations. Contact the author and I will add other locations.
There is a listed spring that takes the crown (the King or Queen of springs’ locations). After climbing the fire tower in Temagami, stay on Highway 11 heading north, northwards, up the hill, slow down at the bottom, cross the Ontario Northland tracks and immediately turn right or east. At about 300 metres you will see a turnaround, then a well-constructed hut with a concrete base donated by the Temagani Lions Club (a spring with its own house, not quite a palace). Located at 17T E592006 N5214815 or N47° 04’ 49.6” W79° 47’ 16.7”.
Are you still not sure about those eight, eight-ounce glasses? Do try to drink as much as you can, and more than you think you need; especially when you are out expending all that energy on the back roads looking for springs.
