Roadside spring that flows out of a pipe in the side of a hill. The spring is across the street from a creek.
Nearest Address
3050 Plank Road, North Garden, VA 22959
Directions from Nearest Address
Heading south on 20 (Scottsville Road) turn right on Plank Road. Pass Edgemont Farm on the left and Oakwood Farm on the right. Pass a white house on the right. The spring is then on the right hand side. Park in the spot on the left hand side of the road (opposite the spring and alongside the creek).
There’s virtually no water flowing. Does anyone know if it’s been closed, or just the drought? Seems like in past droughts there was still a lot more flow.
There is likely surface runoff water getting into it, because of how much the flow increases after rain. Some water is from underground, though, as I had it tested for radon and there is moderate radon in the water (all water in that area of the county is high in radon.) I drank for years with no filter, but now use a Berkey gravity filter.
I was just there. Sediment fills up and it requires using a snake or long stick to bust it loose. I e had to do this before. I’ve noticed no difference because of the rain.
I have been drinking from this spring for over ten years.
Please do not take water samples from anywhere to a gov’t lab. If there is something they do not approve of, they can shut down a spring or a well. If you MUST use a gov’t lab, list an urban address as the source of the water.
This spring is privately owned, PLEASE pick up the trash the local thugs leave so we can keep the owners happy.
Visited today! drove from Richmond, Va. water tasted great, directions were spot on, easy to find. Thanks for the listing, and thank you Christopher for test information! awesome!
TDS only 7…Ph 5.5…temp 60…flow rate about 1 gallon per 5 seconds…bacterial culture negative.
This water is awesome!
pic is the view from small white pump house,water flowing out of pipe at the edge of the road.
Hello! I visited this spring a couple of days ago. The water is cold and tastes wonderful. There is a wonderful energy about the spring. I have been drinking it freely and have had no gastro symptoms of any kind. The spring is only a few miles from the intersection of 29N. and Plank Road (Crossroads Store.) There is a white spring house and the white pipe is down by the road. I recommend this spring to everyone!
My wife and I found the spring this past Friday. She and I both drank the water directly from the pipe. I was sick with diarrhea and vomiting the next day, but she was not. She said that she did not drink that much of it. The water tasted great and was very refreshing. I cannot say with certainty that it was the water that caused the reaction or if it was a 24 hour flu. Has anyone else out there had similar experience with this spring?
I’ve drank the water from this spring for many years and never once I have I been sick from it. I get water there on a regular basis. I recently drank a bottle of Augafina which is my favorite of the bottled water selection and even it did not even compare of the taste quality of the Plank Road Spring.
Drinking from springs was a common occurrence for me when I was a kid growing up in Northern Virginia but I recall that when we’d go hiking in the Blue Ridge I woud occasionally get a reaction similar to yours from the various springs we used. The explanation, which I have never researched, was always a variant in mineral content from what I was used to that caused the body to react to “detox” itself. Diarrhea was a common reaction. I note that I am still alive. 🙂
WoW! Thanks for this feedback. I was going to check-out this spring but, now I’m not. I don’t want to even run the risk of getting sick or, worse yet, getting some kind of parasite. I’m sorry you may have gotten sick from this water (or maybe not) but, thank you so much for this feedback. It made me stop and think.
Gracie, I would not get discouraged to quickly. Go to the spring with a bottle and get some of the spring water and then take it home and test it for your self which will offer the reassurance that you need. You could probably take the water to a local college that has a chemistry lab and ask if they would test the water for you. Also; I had responded to Thirdtuck post as follows: Quick Note: The reason you had diarrhea and vomiting (which are reactions) is possibly because your body is letting go of the built up poisonous toxins your body has been storing for a very long time or for a short period of time. When your body is letting go of these
poisonous toxins, it has to be released somehow either diarrhea, vomiting or through the skin by perspiring which is a good thing.
I haven’t had direct experience yet…but I did hear about this from two locals who had drunk from it and didn’t mention anything negative. They said every time they drive by there are lots of ppl filling up there so it should be fine!
Quick Note: The reason you had diarrhea and vomiting (which are reactions) is possibly because your body is letting go of the built up poisonous toxins your body has been storing for a very long time or for a short period of time. When your body is letting go of these
poisonous toxins, it has to be released somehow either diarrhea, vomiting or through the skin by perspiring which is a good thing.
We went to this spring for the first time today. The water was flowing at about a gallon per minute. Nice and cold and clear! There was no one else there when we got there. The pipe is high enough for you to fit a gallon jug underneath. We left with about 10 gallons.
In March I collected a stockpile of water and still drinking it. I finally purchased a PH Test Kit made by Alkalife off Amazon and the water tests out at about 6.5 PH. I was a little disappointed as that’s still considered acidic but at least it has minerals in it being spring water. Just don’t know what minerals. Anyway, just an update.
I’ve been getting drinking water from this spring since early 2016. I do not filter it and drink it straight from the containers I collect it in. I was there today (28 March 2017) and collected about 35 gallons. The flow rate was really low. It took about 40 seconds to fill a 1L bottle. Other times the flow rate has been faster. Above the spring is forest and does not appear that any of the land is being used for farming or cattle. If it were, I would not drink from this spring as it could have pesticides or fertilizer related chemicals. Others have obviously tested it with kits and readings were good. I usually go by smell, taste and the surrounding landscape. You do have to be careful crossing the road as it’s a two lane country road and cars drive pretty fast. Just be aware when crossing the road to your car and move with a purpose. The spring is about 15-20 minutes from I64 off Exit 120. The roads are curvy and lots of rolling hills. Take your time and be safe getting there and back. Sometimes bicyclists use the roads so you have to be extra careful. Personally, I think they have a death wish cycling on the road getting there. Once you drive it, you’ll know what I mean.
Yes, the water seems to be running super slow now. I think that the water is being diverted (probably naturally) away from the pipe. In other words, the flow is spread out. We left after filling less than half our load today – it just took too long. Very sad…this water is amazing and I’ve been drinking it for a year.
I’ve been collecting and drinking water from this spring for two years now. I have never had an issues other than great tasting water from it, and highly recommend it. I did the First Alert water test kit on it as well as an arsenic test and all came out great. Total TDS 0; PH 7; Chlorine 0; Nitrate 0; Total Nitrate/Nitrite 1.0 (below 10ppm is good); Lead, Bacteria & Pesticides all negative. Enjoy, just be careful on that road, the pipe is on the side of a 2-lane road and cars can go by very quickly. Cheers to your health!
I did a First Alert home water test, and all the results were good, except bacteria – the water tested positive for bacteria. I would love to use the water for drinking water, but I’m not sure I should.
We just left the spring. I think it’s OAKMONT Farm. Not Oakwood. Hope that helps. But, great flow today at 4:30. No other vistors. Filled over 24 gallons in about 20 minutes. I understand theres some coliform bacteria, but we just use a simple filter that filters 99.999% bacteria. They arent very expensive. You can filter stagnant pond water with it and be fine. This spring is about 20 mins away from the one at Montecello trail. (We couldnt find that one).
P.S. The sign for Edgemont Farms actually says Ammonett(sp) Farms on the left, and Edgemont really small lower down where you really wouldn’t see. There is no sign for Oakwood Farms that I saw but I think it is a driveway just up on the right after Ammonett. The spring is on down the road but less than a mile from those farms. You will see the creek with the pull off, big enough for one car. You just walk across the two lane road (it is not too busy but people drive really fast down those back roads) to the spring (white pipe sticking out of a rock lower down) with a small white spring house/shed back and up a few feet from the spring. There was no one else at the spring when we went around 4 PM.
Hello! I went to the spring today, it took us a while to find it because we turned the wrong way on Plank road. We were coming from Carter’s Mountain so I guess the directions are a little different. But the way we came we should have turned left off of Old Lynchburg Rd onto Plank Rd. If you pass a white church you’re going the wrong way. Going the right way, the spring is less than a mile after you turn onto Plank Rd from Old Lynchburg. The spring house is like a miniature white shed on the left where the spring is. The parking space/pull off is across from the spring next to the creek. There is about two feet between the pipe and the ground; it’s a white pvc pipe with some natural looking algae-like stains right inside. It was flowing fast but not rushing. I took a big sip which was cool and tasted great, but then I noticed several tiny particles floating in all the bottles we filled. I am sure it is something natural and something a coffee filter could fix, but just to be sure we will be testing it in Chesterfield County.
Results from Aqua Air Lab in Charlottesville: some coliform bacteria. no E. Coli..Lab guy thought this meant there was a chance surface water/activity could get into/is getting into this water….anyone have any ideas? he said not to drink the water..disappointed..
Hi Roger. I am considering a move to the Charlottsville area. I have been drinking exclusively from Leone springs, in PA, for the past two years. I am looking for a good spring to switch to. Would you have another spring in the Charlottsville area you would reccomend?
have you moved here and found another spring? there is one other one listed here near monticello…I have been wanting to get this spring re tested to confirm my first findings…wish there were some more recent comments…august 2015
Did you ever get a chance to try the spring at the Saunders Trail and get it tested? (I was drinking that water for several months without any problem — TDS was 12.) Thanks.
That one was super hard to find (for us). We read the directions, but still couldnt find the spring.. pretty disappointed. We just collected the water from this one and filter thri simple one step bacteria filter.
I visited the spring today and came down Old Lynchburg Road…it is 0.8 miles from that intersection not 1.1 miles as direction say but regardless it could not be easier to find and there is a little parking space across the road by the Hardware river…I will take the water to Aqua Air labs Tuesday to check for E. coli but I am guessing it will be fine as I met two people who have been drinking out of this spring for a long time…btw the pipe is PVC not metal.
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
Do you have info you'd like to add to the main spring description or perhaps a more accurate gps coordinate?
Please start by making a comment on this spring's page with any additional info, or something that you feel should be changed to reflect more accurate data. After your comment is liked by enough community members, this will validate the improved information.
Please notify us if an update with enough likes hasn't been updated in the description yet.
Plank Road Spring, North Garden, VA
Report
There was a problem reporting this post.
Block Member?
Please confirm you want to block this member.
You will no longer be able to:
See blocked member's posts
Mention this member in posts
Message this member
Add this member as a connection
Please note:
This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin.
Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.
There’s virtually no water flowing. Does anyone know if it’s been closed, or just the drought? Seems like in past droughts there was still a lot more flow.
There is likely surface runoff water getting into it, because of how much the flow increases after rain. Some water is from underground, though, as I had it tested for radon and there is moderate radon in the water (all water in that area of the county is high in radon.) I drank for years with no filter, but now use a Berkey gravity filter.
I was just there. Sediment fills up and it requires using a snake or long stick to bust it loose. I e had to do this before. I’ve noticed no difference because of the rain.
I have been drinking from this spring for over ten years.
Please do not take water samples from anywhere to a gov’t lab. If there is something they do not approve of, they can shut down a spring or a well. If you MUST use a gov’t lab, list an urban address as the source of the water.
This spring is privately owned, PLEASE pick up the trash the local thugs leave so we can keep the owners happy.
Sara, do you filter the water in any way, or do you drink it ‘straight?’
Do you filter the water in any way?
just went today and the water was coming out very slow. i estimate the flow rate was only about 1 gallon every 4 minutes.
Ines: it was about an 1:25 from richmond
Hi Tim, I live in Virginia Beach, how far was this places from Richmond? plz let me know.
Visited today! drove from Richmond, Va. water tasted great, directions were spot on, easy to find. Thanks for the listing, and thank you Christopher for test information! awesome!
This spring is great! I’ve been drinking this pretty exclusively for a couple months now and feel wonderful.
TDS only 7…Ph 5.5…temp 60…flow rate about 1 gallon per 5 seconds…bacterial culture negative.
This water is awesome!
pic is the view from small white pump house,water flowing out of pipe at the edge of the road.
Haven’t read any comments here about the pipe. What kind of pipe? Pipes can easily be the source of contaminants or heavy metals. What’s the story?
Hello! I visited this spring a couple of days ago. The water is cold and tastes wonderful. There is a wonderful energy about the spring. I have been drinking it freely and have had no gastro symptoms of any kind. The spring is only a few miles from the intersection of 29N. and Plank Road (Crossroads Store.) There is a white spring house and the white pipe is down by the road. I recommend this spring to everyone!
My wife and I found the spring this past Friday. She and I both drank the water directly from the pipe. I was sick with diarrhea and vomiting the next day, but she was not. She said that she did not drink that much of it. The water tasted great and was very refreshing. I cannot say with certainty that it was the water that caused the reaction or if it was a 24 hour flu. Has anyone else out there had similar experience with this spring?
I’ve drank the water from this spring for many years and never once I have I been sick from it. I get water there on a regular basis. I recently drank a bottle of Augafina which is my favorite of the bottled water selection and even it did not even compare of the taste quality of the Plank Road Spring.
Drinking from springs was a common occurrence for me when I was a kid growing up in Northern Virginia but I recall that when we’d go hiking in the Blue Ridge I woud occasionally get a reaction similar to yours from the various springs we used. The explanation, which I have never researched, was always a variant in mineral content from what I was used to that caused the body to react to “detox” itself. Diarrhea was a common reaction. I note that I am still alive. 🙂
WoW! Thanks for this feedback. I was going to check-out this spring but, now I’m not. I don’t want to even run the risk of getting sick or, worse yet, getting some kind of parasite. I’m sorry you may have gotten sick from this water (or maybe not) but, thank you so much for this feedback. It made me stop and think.
Gracie, I would not get discouraged to quickly. Go to the spring with a bottle and get some of the spring water and then take it home and test it for your self which will offer the reassurance that you need. You could probably take the water to a local college that has a chemistry lab and ask if they would test the water for you. Also; I had responded to Thirdtuck post as follows: Quick Note: The reason you had diarrhea and vomiting (which are reactions) is possibly because your body is letting go of the built up poisonous toxins your body has been storing for a very long time or for a short period of time. When your body is letting go of these
poisonous toxins, it has to be released somehow either diarrhea, vomiting or through the skin by perspiring which is a good thing.
I haven’t had direct experience yet…but I did hear about this from two locals who had drunk from it and didn’t mention anything negative. They said every time they drive by there are lots of ppl filling up there so it should be fine!
Quick Note: The reason you had diarrhea and vomiting (which are reactions) is possibly because your body is letting go of the built up poisonous toxins your body has been storing for a very long time or for a short period of time. When your body is letting go of these
poisonous toxins, it has to be released somehow either diarrhea, vomiting or through the skin by perspiring which is a good thing.
Wasn’t flowing when I visited in January. Neighbor said it will flow in spring.
We went to this spring for the first time today. The water was flowing at about a gallon per minute. Nice and cold and clear! There was no one else there when we got there. The pipe is high enough for you to fit a gallon jug underneath. We left with about 10 gallons.
I’ve been back several times and even have had to wait for others to complete their collection.
In March I collected a stockpile of water and still drinking it. I finally purchased a PH Test Kit made by Alkalife off Amazon and the water tests out at about 6.5 PH. I was a little disappointed as that’s still considered acidic but at least it has minerals in it being spring water. Just don’t know what minerals. Anyway, just an update.
I’ve been getting drinking water from this spring since early 2016. I do not filter it and drink it straight from the containers I collect it in. I was there today (28 March 2017) and collected about 35 gallons. The flow rate was really low. It took about 40 seconds to fill a 1L bottle. Other times the flow rate has been faster. Above the spring is forest and does not appear that any of the land is being used for farming or cattle. If it were, I would not drink from this spring as it could have pesticides or fertilizer related chemicals. Others have obviously tested it with kits and readings were good. I usually go by smell, taste and the surrounding landscape. You do have to be careful crossing the road as it’s a two lane country road and cars drive pretty fast. Just be aware when crossing the road to your car and move with a purpose. The spring is about 15-20 minutes from I64 off Exit 120. The roads are curvy and lots of rolling hills. Take your time and be safe getting there and back. Sometimes bicyclists use the roads so you have to be extra careful. Personally, I think they have a death wish cycling on the road getting there. Once you drive it, you’ll know what I mean.
visited 3.11.17, and the flow was slow at 4min per gallon. still tastes great though and measured TDS @ 8. Enjoy…
Yes, the water seems to be running super slow now. I think that the water is being diverted (probably naturally) away from the pipe. In other words, the flow is spread out. We left after filling less than half our load today – it just took too long. Very sad…this water is amazing and I’ve been drinking it for a year.
Seems like the water is running very slow the last couple of times I’ve gone to collect water. Anyone know if this is normal for winter?
I’ve been collecting and drinking water from this spring for two years now. I have never had an issues other than great tasting water from it, and highly recommend it. I did the First Alert water test kit on it as well as an arsenic test and all came out great. Total TDS 0; PH 7; Chlorine 0; Nitrate 0; Total Nitrate/Nitrite 1.0 (below 10ppm is good); Lead, Bacteria & Pesticides all negative. Enjoy, just be careful on that road, the pipe is on the side of a 2-lane road and cars can go by very quickly. Cheers to your health!
I did a First Alert home water test, and all the results were good, except bacteria – the water tested positive for bacteria. I would love to use the water for drinking water, but I’m not sure I should.
We just left the spring. I think it’s OAKMONT Farm. Not Oakwood. Hope that helps. But, great flow today at 4:30. No other vistors. Filled over 24 gallons in about 20 minutes. I understand theres some coliform bacteria, but we just use a simple filter that filters 99.999% bacteria. They arent very expensive. You can filter stagnant pond water with it and be fine. This spring is about 20 mins away from the one at Montecello trail. (We couldnt find that one).
What brand and type of filter do you use?
P.S. The sign for Edgemont Farms actually says Ammonett(sp) Farms on the left, and Edgemont really small lower down where you really wouldn’t see. There is no sign for Oakwood Farms that I saw but I think it is a driveway just up on the right after Ammonett. The spring is on down the road but less than a mile from those farms. You will see the creek with the pull off, big enough for one car. You just walk across the two lane road (it is not too busy but people drive really fast down those back roads) to the spring (white pipe sticking out of a rock lower down) with a small white spring house/shed back and up a few feet from the spring. There was no one else at the spring when we went around 4 PM.
Hello! I went to the spring today, it took us a while to find it because we turned the wrong way on Plank road. We were coming from Carter’s Mountain so I guess the directions are a little different. But the way we came we should have turned left off of Old Lynchburg Rd onto Plank Rd. If you pass a white church you’re going the wrong way. Going the right way, the spring is less than a mile after you turn onto Plank Rd from Old Lynchburg. The spring house is like a miniature white shed on the left where the spring is. The parking space/pull off is across from the spring next to the creek. There is about two feet between the pipe and the ground; it’s a white pvc pipe with some natural looking algae-like stains right inside. It was flowing fast but not rushing. I took a big sip which was cool and tasted great, but then I noticed several tiny particles floating in all the bottles we filled. I am sure it is something natural and something a coffee filter could fix, but just to be sure we will be testing it in Chesterfield County.
Results from Aqua Air Lab in Charlottesville: some coliform bacteria. no E. Coli..Lab guy thought this meant there was a chance surface water/activity could get into/is getting into this water….anyone have any ideas? he said not to drink the water..disappointed..
Hi Roger. I am considering a move to the Charlottsville area. I have been drinking exclusively from Leone springs, in PA, for the past two years. I am looking for a good spring to switch to. Would you have another spring in the Charlottsville area you would reccomend?
have you moved here and found another spring? there is one other one listed here near monticello…I have been wanting to get this spring re tested to confirm my first findings…wish there were some more recent comments…august 2015
Hi, Roger,
Did you ever get a chance to try the spring at the Saunders Trail and get it tested? (I was drinking that water for several months without any problem — TDS was 12.) Thanks.
That one was super hard to find (for us). We read the directions, but still couldnt find the spring.. pretty disappointed. We just collected the water from this one and filter thri simple one step bacteria filter.
I visited the spring today and came down Old Lynchburg Road…it is 0.8 miles from that intersection not 1.1 miles as direction say but regardless it could not be easier to find and there is a little parking space across the road by the Hardware river…I will take the water to Aqua Air labs Tuesday to check for E. coli but I am guessing it will be fine as I met two people who have been drinking out of this spring for a long time…btw the pipe is PVC not metal.