Petone Aquifer Water - Good for Beer?

[Nztayls]

So,

A friend of mine who does not brew beer told me about the Te Puna Wai Ora water spring in Petone. I cant believe I have lived here for a couple of years and this is the first I have heard about this place...

Does anyone else use this water for brewing with, and if so, whats it like?. I am not fully read up on water chemistry, but I am picking that if it is pure, then it must be good, right?

I am currently using tap water (live in Upper Hutt) that is being run through and under-sink mounted purifying filter.

[jt]

Yes, I've used it. More for the sake of saying I'd used it, can't say that my uneducated tastebuds noticed any difference.
A number of people do use it by choice though and the specs for the water are somewhere on the WRC site

Cheers, jt

[MrC]

I've never used it and wouldn't bother unless I specifically wanted to say I used it. 

Filtered Upper Hutt water works well and will provide a common base for you to play with water adjustments when you're ready.  I think understanding your water (with is pretty much pure), tweaking the profile as desired and not introducing variables would be a better approach.

[Duncan]

I use Te Puna Wai Ora water for almost every brew, and really like it.  I used to live just around the corner, and even after moving to Newtown I still head out to Petone for brewing water every fortnight.  It's very soft water (the water report was posted here a few years ago) and according to the Water Profile Tool in Beersmith it's pretty much the same as the water from Pilsen in the Czech Republic.  It's a great neutral starting point for water adjustments, and I enjoy the trip to collect it - you always meet a real character or two.

If you see a chap in a beer tshirt getting 60L on a Saturday morning, say hi  :-)

[Chris Banks]

I went through a stage of making the pilgrimage from the Bay to Petone to collect water prior to every brewday as my tap water seems to have a heaping helping of chlorine.

Due to time restraints I now use my tap water via an activated carbon filter and it seems fine on the odd occasion I do actually get to brew but if I knew I would be passing through Petone anytime close to a brewday the carboys would definitely be in the car.

As Duncan says you get to meet some real characters there (including a few tinfoil wearing conspiracy theorists) - it never ceases to amaze me how many people go there and how far some of them have come to get water!

There is another outlet to the same spring water at Moore Wilsons in town but its not really setup for filling of carboys ;-)

Someone had told me that the same spring water is supplied as tap water throughout a small section of petone not sure if that is correct or not?

With the water shortage is the spring supply in Buick St still operating at the moment?

[jt]

I went past yesterday and there were a few people filling containers there

Also while I was out & about in Petone, the old hardware shop shuts shortly, soon to become a Sprig & Fern bar

[Duncan]

Yes, the spring is still operating and there doesn't appear to be any restrictions on how much you can take.  I've also heard that some areas of Petone have tap water supplied from the spring, but I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on whether this is true or not, and if it is, specifically which areas.  I'm house hunting at the moment, and Petone is on the short list of areas, so finding a property plumbed with artesian water would be a great bonus.

The spring at Moore Wilsons isn't designed for collecting large quantities of water.  In fact, they have a sign saying that you are limited to 2L, and in return they ask for a gold coin donation for charity.

[Paul Wicksteed - another1]

Yes most of the Petone tap water is from the spring, petone wont run out of water in a draught. I brew with it everyday, in my coffee ;)

[Duncan]

Oh, that's cool.  Although it does make me feel a bit silly going to fill containers from the spring when I lived three blocks away...

[Nztayls]

Thanks Duncan, might see you there!

I am wanting to brew a Czech style Plisner, and try to remain as true to the style as I can. So short of going to Pilsen, this is the next best things then.

[Dan Filihiahekava]

You can also fill up at the Dowse Art Museum , HCC tapped into the aquifer a few months ago.