Background

A roadside spring is normally untreated, unprotected and unregulated, and its use by the public as a drinking water source is discouraged.

Bacteriological monitoring of roadside springs is not practical or advisable due to their unprotected nature and the potential for surface contamination and variability of source water quality. Owners of property with roadside springs being used by the public are advised to eliminate the roadside spring's accessibility/availability to the public. If this is not possible or practical, the following alternatives should be pursued:

• The property owner should post warning signs that notify the public of the potential unsafe quality of the water.
• The property owner should post the property with properly placed and recorded no trespassing signs, with notification to the appropriate law enforcement agency. This method allows enforcement by an officer of the law upon complaint of the property owner.

Source

The above information was taken from a Technical Reference issued by the New York State (NYS) Department of Health.