LYNNWOOD, Wash. — One of the best-kept secrets in western Washington is a cold naturally purified well flowing 24 hours a day right here in our own backyard.
In a non-descript gravel parking lot in Lynnwood, people come from all over the state for a chance to take home some water from "Well No. 5," or "The 164th Street Artesian Well," which was first drilled in 1957.
"Restaurants and beer makers really like this water as well," said Darren Demontes of Alderwood Water. "It's naturally as clean as it can get."
The water comes from the Intercity Aquifer, and taps in at about 200 feet below the ground. The well is maintained by the Alderwood Water and Waste District as a courtesy to residents.
"It's filtered through mother nature, sand, gravel, there's no treatment process to this water," Demontes said. "Just a natural clean mother nature water basically."
People from all over are welcome to come and take water from the well at no cost. Alderwood Water just asks that people be courteous, clean up after themselves, and take no more than 20 gallons at a time. The well itself pumps out ten gallons of water a minute.
"For the ones who don't like city water, they want something that doesn't have chlorine, doesn't have fluoride... that's more natural clean and pure," Demontes said.