Chalybeate wells or springs - anyone tried drinking from one before?

Question

just discovered there's one near me but don't know if i should try it, anyone know of any dangers or proven benefits or is it hearsay?

Answer 1

All a chalybeate spring is is a spring containing high-levels of iron.
while you can metabolise some of the iron in the water, the purity depends on where the water is coming from and what is nearby.

A ridiculous amount of water from it could probably cause iron poisoning, but you'd have to drink gallons at a time.

If all that is in it is iron, it's probably not going to hurt you in moderation.

Answer 2

There's a chalybeate spring close to where I live (in Sussex,UK). Although the water is very clear, the stream bed is coated with ochre (iron oxide) precipitate, making it appear orange in colour. I have drank from this spring;the water, although lovely and cool, tastes heavily of iron,if you can imagine,like rusty iron filings. It never did me any harm.

Not far away, at Tunbridge Wells, a similar chalybeate spring was tapped by the locals severalhundred years ago, who claimed it had health-restoring properties.