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Hope springs for return of lithium baths Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Three-year-old Paig DeBoer samples water from a Lithia Springs drinking fountain on the Plaza in Ashland while her mother, Brooke, can�t help but laugh at her daughter�s reaction to the unusual-tasting water. The spring�s water, heavily laden with lithium and other minerals, was prized in the early 1900s for its alleged medicinal properties. A business owner has asked Ashland officials for permission to pipe the water into her downtown spa. By TONY BOOM ASHLAND � Lithia water may again be used for mineral baths if a spa owner gains approval from the City Council to pipe it to her antique-style tub. Used for baths in the early decades of the last century, the lithium water is now only available at drinking fountains on the Plaza. Ashland Springs Spa owner Patricia Murphy gained approval in 1996 to use the water at a proposed A Street site. She seeks to modify the agreement so she can offer the option at a spa she opened in February at 236 East Main St. The City Council tabled the issue Feb. 21 and asked staff to report on its concerns. Murphy plans to bring the issue back to the council in the near future. Drawing and healing power In the second decade of the 20th century, Ashland was promoted as a tourist destination with mineral spas to rival those of Europe. Lithia water was one of the main draws. Lithium content in the Ashland spring is second only to the waters at the Karlsbad spa in the Czech Republic, according to Ashland Springs Spa owner Patricia Murphy. Voters approved a 1914 levy to pipe the Lithia water into town from a spring on Emigrant Road near where the airport is now. The $175,000 levy included $65,000 for fountains and scenic improvements in Lithia Park. Land for the park was donated by businessmen G.S. Butler and D. Perozzi, according to Marjorie O�Harra�s "Ashland, The First 130 Years." In addition to Lithia water, four other types of water were available in the park that also featured a free auto camping site. The pipeline project ended up costing $50,000 over budget. Lithia Springs Hotel, built in 1925, offered guests a choice of four different types of mineral water for their baths, including Lithia water. New York advertising man Jesse Winburn attempted to boost the spa image during the 1920s. The dream slowly faded, as people became more interested in "scientific treatment" by health specialists rather than more traditional mineral water approaches, according to O�Harra. "The city has gone to a great extent to keep the Lithia water coming in. I think it would be really neat to bring it back ... so that people could come and sit in it and soak in it," said Murphy. "It�s a huge part of Ashland�s history." Murphy said Lithia water is healthy for the body because of the minerals and other elements it contains. City staff, however, expressed several concerns over piping Lithia water to the spa: uncertain output from the well, high maintenance caused by corrosive minerals and water quality. Murphy said a modification to her 1996 agreement would move the location where she would tap into the line, but other provisions would remain the same. She would pay the costs to bring water to her spa. The agreement also calls for her to carry liability insurance, to pay a $500 annual fee and to face a cut off of her supply if the well runs too low."They�ve managed to keep it running for close to 100 years," said Murphy. "It�s not a big deal if it�s turned off." Councilwoman Susan Reid had voted against the motion to table the request. "Because we could cease delivery at any time in the contract, it didn�t seem to me that we�d be getting ourselves in an uncomfortable position," Reid said Tuesday. "It�s an opportunity to defer (some of) that cost to provide the opportunity for people who enjoy Lithia water (on the plaza)." Public Works Director Paula Brown said the drinking fountains would be the first priority if well production dropped. The City Council approved Murphy�s request in 1996 despite opposition from the public works staff. A 1996 report noted that the city can supply Lithia water for drinking by posting a list of minerals and elements found in the water at the plaza fountains. It would not have that control in a private location, the report said. Murphy plans to use the water only in her soaking tub. A pipeline carries the water from a spring located on Emigrant Road near Ashland�s Airport to the plaza and into Lithia Park. The pipe ends near Butler Band Shell, where the overflow is dumped into Ashland Creek at a rate of five gallons per minute, according to a staff report. Water division crews spend approximately $10,000 per year to replace worn-out lines and perform maintenance on the system. Fountains on the plaza are cleaned weekly because of the water�s staining abilities. Average life expectancy of a fountain is about 18 months because the water is corrosive to the components. Murphy had planned to open the spa on A Street when Doug and Becky Neuman, who were renovating Ashland Springs Hotel, approached her about locating across from the hotel. The Neumans wanted their guests to have a spa nearby. Styled after early 20th-century American spas, the 3,500-foot facility includes men�s and women�s steam rooms and saunas with dousing showers, a Vichy shower for water therapy, the soaking tub and six treatment rooms for massages and facial work. Body treatments from several nations are available. Besides Lithia water, Murphy would like to add one other old-fashioned touch to the spa. She wants to offer straight-razor shaves for men, but so far has been unable to find a barber with that skill. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.