How Are Natural Springs Formed?

How Are Natural Springs Formed?
One of the features of spring water is that it comes from a spring, rather than a river or stream. The source of water doesn’t just affect its purity, it also affects the minerals that are contained in it, as well as its overall taste.

Here we take a look at what a spring is, and consider the way in which a natural spring can be formed. The source from which spring water is bottled, a natural spring is created from water that’s naturally purified and enriched by the earth. Some questions that may have crossed your mind are:

What is a natural spring?
Are natural springs a constant feature?
How are natural springs pure?
Where does spring water get its minerals from?
For answers to all these questions and more, keep reading!

What is a natural spring?
As rain is absorbed into the soil, it gradually permeates downward until it is stopped from going any further, usually due to the presence of a layer of impermeable rock (rock which water can’t penetrate). The area above the impermeable rock (which is normally composed of permeable rock, soil, or rocks with spaces between them) remains saturated, as water collects there.

Above this saturated area (also known as an aquifer) is an unsaturated area, where a permeable layer still contains some air, rather than every gap being filled by water.

The line between the saturated and unsaturated layer is known as the water table. Where the water table meets the land surface, water will be discharged from the saturated layer, forming a natural spring.

Are natural springs a constant feature?
The short answer is that it depends! The water table varies over time, in response to factors such as weather, agriculture, urbanisation, depletion due to irrigation, and seasonal variations. For example, the water table rises some days after heavy rain, and falls, gradually, after a period of drought.

When the water table level drops below surface level, the spring will cease to flow. Some springs flow continuously, whilst others will flow intermittently, depending on the season, the weather, and how much water has been utilised for drinking or farming.

How are natural springs pure?
It can take many, many years for water that falls as rain and is subsequently absorbed deep into the earth’s surface to re-emerge as a natural spring. As the water proceeds through the water cycle, many of its impurities gradually get removed.

In addition, spring water can only be bottled and distributed from springs located in areas that aren’t polluted, optimising purity levels.

Where does spring water get its minerals from?
As the water makes its slow, underground journey through an aquifer, it will pick up tiny particles of minerals from the rocks around it. It’s these minerals that provide the mineral content that is a feature of spring water. The provenance of a spring water (the geology of the aquifer from which it comes), dictates its unique taste.

A natural landscape feature, many springs are an excellent source of pure water that comes directly from deep aquifers. A sustainable water source, aquifers are slowly replenished from natural precipitation, as part of the hydrological cycle. Provided the location is chosen with care, a spring is a source of fresh, pure water that’s entirely natural.

At Aussie Gold, our Natural Spring Water permeates through volcanic rock, providing healthy minerals and refreshing taste. The water is then collected deep within an artesian aquifer, where it can then be captured for bottling.

For natural spring water you can taste the difference, try Aussie Gold.

Our accredited and sustainable aquifer is located on Mount Barmoya, just north of Yeppoon, Queensland.