A spring supply is a provision of
piped mains water
A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following:
# A drainage basin (see water purification – source ...
to a number of consumers direct from a natural
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...
. Spring supplies are therefore a source of
groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidat ...
, which in most instances has fewer micro-organisms (e.g.
coliform bacteria
Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non- spore forming Bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35-37°C. They can be aerobes or faculta ...
and protozoa such as ''
Giardia
''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates betwee ...
'' and ''
Cryptosporidium
''Cryptosporidium'', sometimes informally called crypto, is a genus of apicomplexan parasitic alveolates that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness ( cryptosporidiosis) that primarily involves watery diarrhea (intestinal cry ...
'') and chemical contaminants than a supply from
surface water
Surface water is water located on top of land forming terrestrial (inland) waterbodies, and may also be referred to as ''blue water'', opposed to the seawater and waterbodies like the ocean.
The vast majority of surface water is produced by pr ...
. The point at which the groundwater reaches the surface is prone to contamination, so must be protected using a structure called a
spring box. This is often surrounded by a fence to keep animals out, with other common features being a ditch on the uphill side, an overflow pipe and a well fitting lid. Spring supplies can range from single property supplies that are privately owned, to large supplies that are managed by water companies and serve entire communities. As with any water supply, a spring supply may need to be treated in order to bring it up to drinking water standards. The method for doing this will vary according to the contaminant, but can include sand
filters
Filter, filtering or filters may refer to:
Science and technology
Computing
* Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming
* Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream
* Filter (video), a software component th ...
, pH balancing units and
ultraviolet light
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiati ...
.
[Keeping your private water supply safe, DRINKING WATER INSPECTORATE](_blank)
23-05-2013
Countries
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, over half a million people live or work in a premises that relies on a private water supply such as a spring.
The
Drinking Water Inspectorate The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is a section of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) set up to regulate the public water supply companies in England and Wales.
Based in Whitehall, it produces an annual report showing th ...
(DWI) of England and Wales produces an annual report on the quality of private water supplies.
See also
*
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. T ...
*
Improved water source
An improved water source (or improved drinking-water source or improved water supply) is a term used to categorize certain types or levels of water supply for monitoring purposes. It is defined as a type of water source that, by nature of its co ...
*
Water well
A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. T ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring Supply
Springs (hydrology)
Water supply infrastructure
Water supply