This is not a true spring but a well that is 1,100 feet deep well taps into the Mount Simon-Hinckley aquifer to water that is purported to be over 30,000 years old. True fossil water! This well was drilled by the old Schmidt Brewery that is no longer in service but is now a St. Paul historical landmark.
The water has been available to the public on-and-off through the years and has recently been re-opened in early 2010. The water is brought up to a holding tank which is then dispensed to the public through a vending machine.
Note that there is a sign by the vending machine that claims that the water is UV treated. We are unsure how accurate this is at this time.
Here is a nice article from Minnesota Public Radio about the re-opening of the water to the public. Includes some nice history as well.
We’ve been using the water on-and-off since it’s re-opening. It tastes very clean and the TDS is a bit lower than Fredrick-Miller Spring, although not by much.
Nearest Address
Intersection of 7th St. West and Webster St. in St. Paul, right off the river.
Directions from Nearest Address
From highway 94, go south on 35E and exit on Randolph Avenue. Go East and then turn North on West 7th St. You will see it on the right-hand side up a few blocks.
As of 6/14/12: I get water here regularily over the past few years. It has always been awesome quality. Never once have I noticed discoloration or off odor or bad taste. It is all I drink at home. I fill up 25 gallons per trip. I use it for cooking and the dog too.
Our Edina city water is horrible tasting to me, too much chlorine and added fluoride for sure.
10June10 Filled 7 gallons glass jugs with water–the water turned yellowish and odor
coming from it smelled like diesel fuel. I phoned
Water Quality
Complaints (Colored Water/Taste & Odor In Water)
Community Water Systems
Refer to engineer in your county. See
list below.
St.
Paul Office
Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey, and Washington Counties
Chad Kolstad, 651-201-3972, chad.kolstad@state.mn.us
He phoned back to say that St. Paul Environmental Health
had responsibility for testing the water and it sounded like
they would test this week because of my report of bad color and odor.
As far as reporting, Chad thought they would post at the well site if
anything was found wrong!
Hi! I have purchased this water and wonder why it always has a garlic like odor. The odor varies in strength and in recent weeks has been quite strong. It tastes fine. Why does it have that garlic odor? Only about two or three times I’ve purchased water there it did have a petroleum taste to it, so I wonder why that is too? Thanks “admin” for posting this. I hope you respond as it looks like no one else has been getting any. Thanks!
Water QualityComplaints (Colored
Water/Taste & Odor In Water)
Community Water Systems (Refer to engineer in your county. See
list below.) St.Paul Office Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey, and Washington
Counties
Chad Kolstad, 651-201-3972, chad.kolstad@state.mn.us
Chad
phoned back on Tues 11June14 to say that
St. Paul Environmental Health
had responsibility for testing the water and
it sounded to him like they would
test this week
because of my report of bad color
and odor.
He had left a message for Barb
McCannick (sp?),
but someone else called him back
and he didn’t get that person’s name.
As far as reporting, Chad
thought they would post at the well site if
they found something wrong.
This site has a great history from
when the brewery operated it,
but I have strong reservations
about the current operators.
just tasted this water for the first time, after getting tipped off by my pa about this spot. Bought 3gallon glass containers for this special aqua. The water is by far the best and easiest to drink water I have ever had. It taste like a mix of the water machined stuff dispensed in grocery stores with the reverse osmosis treatment- meaning it is as equally pure tasting, with a hint of mineral water mixed in. very easy to drink! get some! i will see you there
Is there a problem with the water? I just filled up and have discarded because the taste is awful much like petroleum. The dispenser indicated the water was free and sure enough it was.
Back in the 1990s I made a complete survey of the springs of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, some of which had been used for drinking water in the early days. I did not drink from any of them, but if you’d like to read my 1997 report and see a map of the spring locations, it is available on the Minnesota Ground Water Association website, starting on page 1 of the pdf:
I just recently cut out tap water, and started buying bottled water. I decided to give this a shot, and it tastes much better than bottled, and not to mention just better water all around. It’s $1 per gallon, which may be too much for some, and going down there to lug gallons of water home is a bit of work. But, I will pay a price for good quality of things I put into my body. Perhaps the price may go back down if they see a decrease in usage because of the hike.
Love the well, unbelievable quality, however the price has DOUBLED from 50 cents to a dollar in TWO YEARS.
Almost everyone I know has started going elsewhere or using at home filters for the water due to this fact.
It is basic economics. Sometimes you can make more money charging less due to higher volume. The owners may actually find their profits decrease with the increase in fees.
I know me and my families are filling up less now, and I am sure we are not alone.
I have been buying this water since the self service vending machine opened, about 10-15 gallons a week. I love the taste and I’ve never had a bad batch. However, the price will increase to $1.00 gallon on 10-15-2014 and I think that may be too spendy for my budget.
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.
Written by Dakota Chanel. Water Priestess and Ceremonialist. DakotaChanel.com
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Schmidt Brewery Well, St. Paul, MN
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I've tasted this water and it is sublime. I use glass containers when I collect the water.
GLASS is the BEST way.
American greed has set in…….the owner of the tap has just raised the price per gallon to $1.00 and I hope people stop buying from him.
I like the water here. The price recently increased to $0.75 cents/gallon as of 1/1/2013. The machine takes $1 bills or quarters ONLY.
As of 6/14/12: I get water here regularily over the past few years. It has always been awesome quality. Never once have I noticed discoloration or off odor or bad taste. It is all I drink at home. I fill up 25 gallons per trip. I use it for cooking and the dog too.
Our Edina city water is horrible tasting to me, too much chlorine and added fluoride for sure.
Has this well been tested lately?
10June10 Filled 7 gallons glass jugs with water–the water turned yellowish and odor
coming from it smelled like diesel fuel. I phoned
Water Quality
Complaints (Colored Water/Taste & Odor In Water)
Community Water Systems
Refer to engineer in your county. See
list below.
St.
Paul Office
Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey, and Washington Counties
Chad Kolstad, 651-201-3972, chad.kolstad@state.mn.us
He phoned back to say that St. Paul Environmental Health
had responsibility for testing the water and it sounded like
they would test this week because of my report of bad color and odor.
As far as reporting, Chad thought they would post at the well site if
anything was found wrong!
Hi! I have purchased this water and wonder why it always has a garlic like odor. The odor varies in strength and in recent weeks has been quite strong. It tastes fine. Why does it have that garlic odor? Only about two or three times I’ve purchased water there it did have a petroleum taste to it, so I wonder why that is too? Thanks “admin” for posting this. I hope you respond as it looks like no one else has been getting any. Thanks!
On Thurs June 9, 2011, I filled 7
gallons glass jugs with water
–the water turned yellowish and
odor
coming from it smelled like diesel fuel.
I discarded it.
I found this web site to find the
info below.
Previously when operated by the
brewery,
because the well was a
non-community source,
the MN Dept of Health
“regulated” it.
But when I called Mn Dept of
Health on June 9,
I was told it was now a community
water source and the Dept of Ag
had responsibility.
I found the link below to find
someone to call–Chad Kolstad—
and reported the color and odor.
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/org/contactlst.html#wtrpws
Water QualityComplaints (Colored
Water/Taste & Odor In Water)
Community Water Systems (Refer to engineer in your county. See
list below.) St.Paul Office Chisago, Isanti, Ramsey, and Washington
Counties
Chad Kolstad, 651-201-3972, chad.kolstad@state.mn.us
Chad
phoned back on Tues 11June14 to say that
St. Paul Environmental Health
had responsibility for testing the water and
it sounded to him like they would
test this week
because of my report of bad color
and odor.
He had left a message for Barb
McCannick (sp?),
but someone else called him back
and he didn’t get that person’s name.
As far as reporting, Chad
thought they would post at the well site if
they found something wrong.
This site has a great history from
when the brewery operated it,
but I have strong reservations
about the current operators.
Hope this info is helpful to you.
just tasted this water for the first time, after getting tipped off by my pa about this spot. Bought 3gallon glass containers for this special aqua. The water is by far the best and easiest to drink water I have ever had. It taste like a mix of the water machined stuff dispensed in grocery stores with the reverse osmosis treatment- meaning it is as equally pure tasting, with a hint of mineral water mixed in. very easy to drink! get some! i will see you there
Is there a problem with the water? I just filled up and have discarded because the taste is awful much like petroleum. The dispenser indicated the water was free and sure enough it was.
Is there some way I contact someone about this?
Jeff Thone 612-221-1717
jeff.thone@gmail.com
Here’s a recent article on the most recent owners of the well. It’s still an outdoor vending station. You can fill up your own containers and it costs $1 a gallon, with cash, credit and Apple Pay payments accepted. https://growlermag.com/mill-urban-organics-is-giving-ancient-water-a-fresh-new-name-the-drink/
Here’s a slide show of springs from the Minneapolis-St Paul area, some of which are still used for drinking water by local residents:
http://www.gregbrick.org/historic-springs
Back in the 1990s I made a complete survey of the springs of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, some of which had been used for drinking water in the early days. I did not drink from any of them, but if you’d like to read my 1997 report and see a map of the spring locations, it is available on the Minnesota Ground Water Association website, starting on page 1 of the pdf:
http://www.mgwa.org/newsletter/mgwa1997-1.pdf
I just recently cut out tap water, and started buying bottled water. I decided to give this a shot, and it tastes much better than bottled, and not to mention just better water all around. It’s $1 per gallon, which may be too much for some, and going down there to lug gallons of water home is a bit of work. But, I will pay a price for good quality of things I put into my body. Perhaps the price may go back down if they see a decrease in usage because of the hike.
Love the well, unbelievable quality, however the price has DOUBLED from 50 cents to a dollar in TWO YEARS.
Almost everyone I know has started going elsewhere or using at home filters for the water due to this fact.
It is basic economics. Sometimes you can make more money charging less due to higher volume. The owners may actually find their profits decrease with the increase in fees.
I know me and my families are filling up less now, and I am sure we are not alone.
I have been buying this water since the self service vending machine opened, about 10-15 gallons a week. I love the taste and I’ve never had a bad batch. However, the price will increase to $1.00 gallon on 10-15-2014 and I think that may be too spendy for my budget.
Still 75 cents for a gallon. We filled up our three gallon jug this evening. Very delicious water, clear and sweet.
Is it open during the winter? I just found this site, curious to try the water here. I noticed no one has posted since January, how is the water now?