Are there currently any natural springs or wells in Central London
(UK) from which visitors can take water?

Dear moores1975-ga,

I regret that owning to the geology of the London area, and the
building and expansion of London,  particularly during the 18th and
19th centuries, that there are no natural springs or wells in central
London where you can take water.

Any spring or stream has long ago been incorporated into the sewers of
London or covered by roads and empty into the River Thames. For
example the River Fleet  (after which the famous Fleet Street is
named).
http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/fs1/fs1cp1.htm
http://today.answers.com/topic/river-fleet
http://today.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=10atw39njiwtf?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Subterranean+rivers+of+London&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc07a&linktext=Subterranean%20rivers%20of%20London

There are a number of bore holes from which water is extracted but
these are all under control of Thames Water, the water authority for
most of London area. It obtains 25% of its water from groundwater.
London is built on Palaeogene clay and sand. Below that is chalk which
stores groundwater. This is from where Thames Water extracts its
water.

You may find this document of interest which discusses groundwater in
London and other areas of the UK where there is mineral water.
http://www.groundwateruk.org/archive/groundwater_resources.pdf

"Groundwater is water held in giant underground sponges called
aquifers. As a rule, levels decline in summer and recover in winter,
when we have consistently wet weather. Groundwater can be abstracted
using boreholes but also feeds our rivers, sustaining river flows in
the summer."
http://www.thameswateruk.co.uk/UK/region/en_gb/content/Section_Homepages/Multi_Download_000176.jsp?SECT=Multi_Download_000176


"In London 75% of all water supplied comes from surface water sources,
the majority of which is abstracted from the lower reaches of the
River Thames and River Lee. Groundwater accounts for the final 25% of
water supplied to our customers in London, this is taken from water
bearing rocks beneath London."
http://www.thameswateruk.co.uk/UK/region/en_gb/content/Section_Homepages/Section_Homepage_000583.jsp?SECT=Section_Homepage_000583

I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder


Search strategy
Personal knowledge of London
Thames Water authority web site
And the words: groundwater thames london springs

---

Clarification of Answer by answerfinder-ga on 24 Feb 2006 01:44 PST

Geoff-ga is quite right to point out that there are some artesian
wells are still in use in London, but these are not intended nowadays
for drinking purposes. During the Victorian period many wells were
sunk to provide water for breweries, power machinery, and even provide
water for the fountains in Trafalgar Square and at the Crystal Palace
Great Exhibition of 1851. Some of these remain in private hands as
exampled by Harrods.

Recently, Thames Water have been drilling boreholes to extract
groundwater which is rising in London. One borehole is at Buckingham
Palace. It is used in the air conditioning system in the Queen's
Gallery and to refill the lakes. Also, according to this article in
the Times, others are having their own boreholes drilled to tap the
water to use as ground-source energy.

See
http://ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2001/2001-01-25-10.asp

and
?They're changing the HVAC system at Buckingham Palace. By installing
a geothermal heat pump at her official residence, Queen Elizabeth is
showing her green leadership and leading the trend among British
celebrities to adopt sustainable technology.
Officials say that the £50,000 cost of drilling a vertical borehole
under a four-acre lake on the palace grounds, plus additional funds to
convert the palace's existing heating system, should be recouped in
seven years. The system will save public funds, as tax money pays for
all the Queen's utility bills at Buckingham Palace and Windsor
Castle.?
http://www.wapa.gov/es/pubs/esb/2005/dec/dec05es.htm

Times article
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1743819,00.html


Visit East London
?Spitalfields was popular with brewers, as there is a large artesian
well under Brick Lane.?
http://www.visiteastlondon.co.uk/downloads/Leaflets/Spitalfields%20Walk%20.pdf

Victorian London - Buildings, Monuments and Museums - Crystal Palace
?The effect of the display of the whole system of fountains is very
striking, but of course this occurs but seldom, and on special
occasions, for a grand display consumes about six millions of gallons,
120,000 gallons being thrown in a minute, through 11,788 jets. It may
be well to state here that the lofty towers, 284 feet high, one of
which stands at each end of the palace, are of cast iron, and each
contains 800 tons of that metal. They need to be strongly built, for
they hold when full, a body of water weighing 1576 tons. The water is
obtained by means of an artesian well 575 feet deep, which penetrates
the London clay to the greensand below.?
http://www.victorianlondon.org/buildings/crystalpalace.htm

answerfinder-ga

Thanks for the prompt and detailed answer.

This may be explained in some of the references which Answerfinder has
provided; but if it isn't it's worth noting that there are still some
privately owned deep artesian wells in London. These include three
still  providing water to the Harrods department store - see
http://www.harrods.com/Cultures/en-GB/KnightsbridgeStore/History/Detailed+History.htm

During the cholera epidemics in London in the 1850s, Dr. John Snow
recognized the relationship between deaths and sources of drinking
water, correctly surmising that there was a connection.  His work
eventually led to the disuse of shallow wells and improved water
supply and sewage control.

http://www.epi.msu.edu/johnsnow/Snow%20pub%20doc/58-02-DrWatSupPH3.htm