quality deteriorates through exposure to the Sun, to excessive
warming and to chemicals and other pollutants. Although most
urban communities now depend on this source, generally speaking
it is not good quality water.Groundwater
Groundwater has a higher quality due to a larger amount of dis-
solved carbons and other trace salts. This is water emanating from
lower levels, seeping out at the surface after passage along an imper-
vious rock surface. Often this is now polluted by the chemicals of
industrial agriculture.Spring Water
True spring water has a large amount of dissolved carbons and min-
erals. Its high quality is often shown by its shimmering, vibrant
bluish colour. The product of infiltrating rainwater (full comple-
ment of atmospheric gases) and geospheric water (full complement
of minerals, salts and trace elements), this is the best water for
drinking, and it often retains this quality in the upper reaches of a
mountain stream. Commercially bottled 'springwater' is unfortu-
nately not always of the best quality — many are not from true
springs — even if it is bottled in glass rather than the plastic which
impairs its quality.Other Groundwater
Artesian water is obtained from boreholes and is of unpredictable
quality. It may be saline, brackish, or fresh. Water from wells can
vary from good to poor, depending on how deep is the well and what
stratum of water is tapped, and they can be polluted by nitrates and
herbicides.How the river protects itself
Schauberger saw water as being conceived in the cool, dark cradle
of the virgin forest. As it slowly rises from the depths, water
matures. It absorbs minerals and trace elements on its upward path.
Only when it is ripe will it emerge as a spring. A true spring, (com-
pared to a seepage spring), has a water temperature of about +4°C
(39°F). In the cool, scattered light of the forest water begins its long
journey down the valley as a lively, sparkling and gurgling stream.
HIDDEN NATURE