Orange Turnpike Spring, Tuxedo, NY  3.7/5 (3)

9 people follow this spring.

Description

Water piped to road parking.

Nearest Address

Rt. 17 north/Orange Turnpike

Directions from Nearest Address

Take first left onto Orange Turnpike after passing Red Apple Rest on Rt. 17 north, bear right at fork. Go 3/4 mile on Orange turnpike, spring on right (no signs available). Parking on shoulder.

Vital Information

  • Fee: None
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: 35
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: 5

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS: N/A

Map Link: Orange Turnpike Spring Map

Submitted by: menendian

Responses

  1. Just filled up at this spring. It’s off the side of the road and someone actually marked in on Google maps as “Water Free” so look out for that when you get to the area. The water is cold and refreshing and seems to be running at full speed

  2. Was there yesterday 3/2/14 – water flowing and tastes great! Have been going here for over 20 years and love it! (Actually drive up from NYC for it!) Lets keep the area clean please.

    1. Terry:
      I live in Queens NY, Do you have exact directions on how to get to the spring. I went out there last week (Without a GPS smh) and i got lost. 3 hours of my day went to waste. So if you have good detailed directions from Manhattan or from Queens i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

  3. i just got off the phone with a gentleman from orange county dept. of health and heres the deal with the sign.
    It’s all to cover the state/ county’s butt!  the spring has never been tested and it is drink at your own risk just as it has been forever.  he also told me they are posting signs at other spring locations as well for the same reason.  when i get a chance i will take a sample to the lab in bloomingburg and have it tested…it’s only $25 and i’ve always wanted to do it anyway.  i will post the report at the spring when i do. if you have questions call orange county health dept.

    1. The guy from the Orange County of Health told me the same thing, the water is not protected and not tested so they deem it “unsafe.” Like you said I think its just a way to cover the county’s butt.

      1. Thanks Adam, and now the town paper has a really vague article on how the water has bacteria in it.  So we hear that it was tested, yet phone calls to the DOH say it was untested.  Here is the article. I’m sensing something is not right with the info.  But if anyone sends out the water for testing let us know the results.  Or if anyone knows where to get it tested so we can put this to bed.

        http://thephoto-news.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120531/NEWS01/120539994/0/SEARCH

        1. i don’t believe a word strauss news or the government tells us! i am going to the spring in a few minutes to take a sample and bring it up to bloomingburg myself. i will post the report at the spring and on this site. if the sample comes back clean someones gonna get in trouble!:(

          1. Please let us know…Was there yesterday and sign was there along with a written note that someone will have the water tested…Thank you so much for doing this…

    2. Well thanks ek.  I kind of figured that was the deal.  I have never had the water tested.  Although about 6 months ago met a person who sent it out for testing and it came back very clean, cleaner than tap water.  I may also get it tested.  I am glad I didn’t go to the Blooming Grove spring thinking it was a different story.  So now I will expect to see signs at all the springs.  It’s a nice way to scare people into buying bottled water.  Makes you wonder what is behind this.

        1. xactly ek!  We’ll stay a few steps ahead of the people that want to control though.  I have been drinking this nice water again.  Tastes fine.  Better than the terrible tap water that leaves a bad taste.

  4. I just went to the spring today and found it completely dried up :(. Very sad as I’ve been filling up there for the last few months. Last time I went there about a month ago I did notice that the water was running very slow compared to when I first found it

  5. I live in Brooklyn, if this water is legit, maybe we can form our own “coop” and alternate who drives up there to get the water so we don’t have to go up every week. And, also I am wondering if the water is still drinkable. Thanks!

  6. update 6-5-2012 3:45pm

    lab just called, the spring tests positive for total coliform(as i expected)and negative for e. coli(which i was hoping)! the girl sounded as if she was reading off of a standard response card. thats all the info she would give me by phone..,so we’ll have to wait till i get the report by mail probably in a couple of days. i will put it up at the spring when i fill up next.

    this is the same water we’ve drinking all along

    1. We were there today and filled our bottles thinking that dept of Parks wants protection in case of a lawsuit. but Im still hesitant about actually drinking the water…

  7. i’ve been away for a while and am curious as to the status of the tuxedo/monroe spring – safe to drink? seems like conversation drops off at 7/8 months ago
    writing this on 1/16/13

  8. The highway workers that are paving to roads by the spring have ripped down any notes stuck to the “Do Not Drink” sign very quickly.  So anything posted stated the water is ok will not last long.  But as long as ek and other people are filling up I guess it’s safe.  I saw some of those highway workers, and now I am guessing they just don’t wnat to take care of the road by the spring so the whole story that the well is contaminated could be bunk.  If anyone knows differently then let us know.  I think the whole thing with the sign is a sham. I am sticking to that until some proof is shown that the water is undrinkable

  9. I think there is a problem in the area. I have a well that is testing very high for coliform lately. I would not drink the water and we have to put a UV light on our well. It has been going on for months now. I was going to come get water in Tuxedo but have heard several springs in the area are contaminated. 

    1. i have always had coliform in my well regardless of how much bleach i dumped down it. we too put a uv system in and we dont even have it plugged in anymore! all it does is suck up electric and they recommend changing the bulbs every year $$$$$.  bottom line we’re not sick or dead!  wet spring= higher coliform. i my opinion city(tap)water has more stuff that can kill you than the spring…chlorine,flouride,all the drugs and chemicals people dump down the toilet.

      1. Thanks for the info. What do you mean by wet spring = higher coliform? I drank well water my entire life and we never had it tested to my knowledge, but I am concerned about the health issues surrounding coliform in the water. My 8 year old had gastric issues from drinking it but it did not bother me. I really just want to make sure the spring is safe to drink.

    1. All us spring water drinkers have elevated you to hero status ek.  Good work and thanks for the video.  If the water is clean then Dr Jean Hudson,that stated the water was tested and has bacteria as well as saying later in the news article that “The springs are not testable because it depends on the weather”, will have to contend with your findings.  Such a mish mash of confusing info in that article is suspect. What does that even mean?  Either it was tested or not.  I do not trust the DOH or any journalism.  But we will see soon enough. 

    1. Thank you Ek.  Please come back and post what you find out.  I tried calling the DOH from work today and stayed on hold and could not continue waiting.  I will post anything I find out too.  That spring is too convenient for me as it is on my way to work and would like to know the status.

  10. There is a new sign again saying from the NY Commissioner Of Health claiming the water is not drinkable.  Either this is the same water people have been drinking for years and is ok or something has since been detected in the water.  It ould be nice to know if this is someone just covering themselves or if the water is all of a sudden undrinkable after all these years.  I have no idea.  It tastes the same although I am cautious and want to find out.

  11. Was there yesterday 5-19-12 sign is there got water anyway. tested at home tds 28 ph around 5 . Gotta be better than the tap. Im drinking it……

  12. The sign that stated “water is not potable” was only up for a few days. Then it was taken down and people are filling up again.  No one seems to know who posted the sign since it is a NY State Park the spring is in.  I am now filling up again as it seems fine but it would be nice to know why a sign was put up.  Someone I know remembers a sign a few years ago too but it was temporary.  I do remember however after Hurricane Irene last year the water was not drinkable for about a week.  Wood chunks were coming out of the pipe in the water. 

  13. right, we are also drinking it. I called Dep of Health -they didn’t put up this sign either, most probably it was by land owners for insurance purposes.

  14. This spring has been there since I was kid which was 40 years ago.  I always wondered who owned the land behind it.  There was an old dirt road but I think its overgrown now.

  15. The given directions are correct except for the milage from the turnoff onto Orange turnpike. We clocked it and it was 1.5 miles NOT 3/4 of a mile. The spring will be on the right side of the road.

  16. I filled my jars on May 27, 2023. I was excited! The water flowed nicely, it looked clear and tasted great. After 9 ticks later and having boiled and tested the water with the H2O Ok Plus complete water analysis kit, I was devastated to find that it indeed contain the filiforme bacteria. Please be careful. I don’t know if anything changed prior to my filling ip or if this kit is not accurate, but after boiling and keeping in glass jugs, a film developed on the surface of the water and that’s what compelled me to test it.

  17. I went to this spring today 5/26/2023. It is no longer active. I have no idea why. Used this spring for a long time too. If anyone knows why they stopped the water flow please let me know thanks.

  18. First time I filled up here was in July 2022, and the water was very slow, though tasted good, a bit sweet. Then the spring went dry until about 2 weeks ago, when I texted Gregory (he’s a legit person and super nice, he will tell you if the spring is running or not before you make the trek out) and he said the spring is back up. Fast & heavy flow, harvested about 22 gallons, and the water is no bueno. Left an orange filmy residue in my water carafe, and tasted very off. Felt like light acid going down my system.

  19. As of the last few visits, there is no water flowing from the pipe. The pipe has been turned sideways. I wonder if it has been tampered with. Does anyone know? This was our favorite spring.

  20. You know you can filter the spring water since it tested for coliform. Sign up at my site rawrainwater.com if you want to know which filter I recommend. And thank you for your research EK. Many blessings. 🙂

  21. Is anyone still drinking from this spring? Is the water good? Anyone gotten sick? Is it trust worthy? Do you boil the water or drink it straight? (I’m new to this idea of spring water, not feeling too safe about it).

  22. As of 12/15/2014 this spring is flowing again pretty nicely. We’ve had a lot of rain and snow. But if someone were to make a long trip to this spring I highly recommend researching the Blooming Grove spring a few miles away and use that one.

      1. hi,

        I’m going there next tuesday i will let you know. is it hard to find, i will be running a full test on the water to check for primarily bacteria and ph(over $200)

  23. Directions:

    Get off 87 to 17 North continue pass the Tuxedo Station Pass the Apple Rest place and there is a road on the left Orange County RT 19, take that left and continue on RT 19 for about a mile or two it is on the right past a dirt road.

  24. The spring is there but no water is flowing. This happened last year too but it did start flowing again at some point. Right now I would not make any special trips to it. If I see it flowing again I will post as I pass it a few times a week.

  25. We just moved to Brooklyn from Canada and are planning on making the trek out to this spring, but I’m concerned that no recent posts indicate it’s still there. Anyone been lately? Thanks

  26. I went to this spring for the first time today and it was dry…no water running. I am wondering (hoping) if this is due to the dry summer we had. I have been the Blooming Grove spring which is very close to where I live for the past 5 years. In all that time it never once was dry. Last week it was running much slower than usual and this week -no water! I was afraid that the town had maybe diverted it because of an accident or something…Its kind of dangerous there crossing the road and often people will pull up right next to the pipe where there is no space to park on that busy road!!! But when I saw the Tuxedo spring dry also I am thinking it is the drought???? Any one know? I really depend on a reliable source of water. Any replies to this post are greatly appreciated!

  27. Does this spring still exist? Tried looking for it for 2 hours. Surprised no one named not one landmark. Is it near the Tuxedo train station? Before or after the light? Can anyone clear things up. This is the closest one to me and would love to take advantage of the fact.

  28. I am in Brooklyn also, love the idea of sharing water duties – any suggestions how to organize? my email can be found on the about page of my web site which is colleenmoritz then just with the www and the dot com. thanks, colleen

    1. I know its only been about a month since this last comment was uploaded but does anyone know if the sign saying the water isn’t drinkable is still up and if people are still drinking the water? I want to make sure its still okay for me to drink. Thanks!

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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