Mountain spring systems constitute vital freshwater reserves in the Himalayan foothills, yet their hydrogeochemical evolution and pollution status remain poorly constrained. Here, we analyze 87 spring-water samples from Muzaffarabad and adjoining mountainous terrain during the post-monsoon period to characterize controlling processes and potential health risks. The waters exhibit a predominant \(Ca-{HCO}_{3}\) type, with major ions following the order \({Mg}^{2+}>{Ca}^{2+}>{Na}^{+}>{K}^{+}\) and \({HCO}_{3}^{-}>{Cl}^{-}>{SO}_{4}^{2-}>{NO}_{3}^{-}\) , reflecting carbonate weathering supported by silicate and ferromagnesian mineral dissolution. Saturation indices and chloro-alkaline indices reveal near-equilibrium with calcite–dolomite systems and active ion-exchange reactions along the flow path. Multivariate statistics further differentiate low-, medium-, and high-mineralization clusters driven by lithological variability. Pollution Index of Groundwater values remain consistently low (0.202–0.322), classifying all samples as insignificantly polluted relative to WHO drinking-water standards. Health Risk Assessment demonstrates negligible non-carcinogenic risk from nitrate, with hazard quotients for infants, children, and adults remaining well below unity across the dataset. Collectively, the results show that the hydrochemistry of these mountain springs is shaped primarily by natural geogenic controls with minimal anthropogenic impact, offering a robust baseline for long-term water-resource stewardship under increasing environmental and developmental pressures.
