Surface Water Vs. Groundwater

I had a friend at the field school this past summer and he and I spent some time discussing water and water systems. We collect rainwater at the field school for drinking and washing, and when it runs low we get water from a stream or the river. At the time he was in the middle of building a pond on his land in southern Maine for storing drinking water. He mentioned that our species evolved drinking surface water, which is usually lower in salts and minerals than well water that comes from deep underground. He was of the belief that while surface water was more easily contaminated, it was generally better for you than well water. It was something I had never heard of or thought about before, so it stuck with me. I don’t have any answers and don’t know if he was right or not. But he definitely believed it, and he could be right.

Sustainability

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Nikki Huwe

    Your friend could be right; nobody seems to know for sure. There is scientific evidence on both sides. Some say if you drink water lacking in minerals, that minerals will be leached from your body to neutralize the water’s acidity. Others say that the minerals from water cannot be absorbed anyway. What is certain is that water is essential to life just like the air we breathe. It’s wonderful to hear that people are claiming there share of it without purchasing it from the government or a corporation.

  • One good thing about surface water is that it can be harvested with a bucket – no pump needed.

BushcraftSchool.com
Private community & online learning platform.

JMB Blog & Media Hub
Home to our blog, videos, podcast and photos, going back to 2006.

JMBS Calendar
All of our upcoming events.

Typos, Etc.
Anything that appears to be an error in spelling or grammar is actually the author’s clever use of the vernacular, and as such is not an error, but rather a carefully placed literary device demonstrating prodigious artistic prowess.

Fediverse & Mastodon
Follow us and comment on Mastodon and the Fediverse. We’re at https://blog.jackmtn.com/@blog.jackmtn.com

Email List
Join our email list for a weekly recap of our posts.


Featured In:
Jack Mountain Bushcraft Media Appearances Image

Private Community & Online Learning Platform
BushcraftSchool.com graphic
Western Colorado University
Academic Partner

WSU graphic

Maine Wilderness Guides Organization Quality Endorsement Award
MWGO

Life Member – Maine Professional Guides Association
mpga graphic
Life Member – Maine Wilderness Guides Organization
mwgo graphic