New Alabama spring water facility opens

On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) joined the leaders of Alabama Mineral Springs LLC today to celebrate the company's ambitious five-year project to sustainably distribute mineral-rich water from a free-flowing spring in Chilton County.

Alabama Mineral Springs LLC is officially starting production today at a new $6 million bottling plant at the location where natural spring water was first discovered around 165 years ago.

Gov. Ivey attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company which staged tours of the new facility this morning in the Mineral Springs community. Bottles of its "Simply Artesian" water will go on public sale in early July.

"I am thrilled to see this historic site be revived by a business that wants to bring a healthy product that's genuinely 'Made in Alabama' to the world," said Governor Ivey. "This project has been a labor of love, and I'm thankful to the folks of Alabama Mineral Springs LLC for seeing the great potential here."

Alabama Mineral Springs LLC was formed in 2019 to capitalize on the high quality of the spring's water, which contains a host of minerals and six of the seven naturally occurring electrolytes, according to the company's testing.

Diana Windsor is the sales and marketing manager for Alabama Mineral Springs LLC. She said that the free-flowing spring brings up around 22,000 gallons a day. The company's top-of-the-line bottling plant is capable of bottling 5,000 servings an hour of the spring water.

"Our mission is to save a precious natural resource and bring healthy hydration to a growing market," said Windsor. "Our commitment lies in capturing the untouched purity and inherent goodness of Alabama's mineral springs, which have been cherished by the local community for generations."

The depths from which the aquifer flows are approximately 200 feet, with the pristine water flowing to the surface without the contaminants from pollutants and natural fouling by animals that occurs with surface water.

Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones Wadsworth told the Alabama Gazette, "Simply Artesian water will become a household name, thanks to the ingenuity of Alabama Mineral Springs LLC. The company has honored the history of the Mineral Springs community and worked with local fire departments and other partners throughout the process, which brings even more value to the Made in Alabama brand. We are looking forward to purchasing their product in July 2024."

Bottles of "Simply Artesian" water will be sold online and will be available at select groceries and convenience stores in Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle, with a target date of July 5.

Brenda Tuck is the Rural Development Manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce. She said that Alabama Mineral Springs LLC's venture is a prime example of an innovative project with a sustainability focus being launched in rural Alabama.

"This company recognizes the importance of sustainability and has worked hard to minimize its environmental footprint throughout the project," said Tuck. "They have embraced responsible practices as a way of protecting the spring for future generations. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this venture."

The company also plans to seek government contracts and deals with school systems.

The site's spring has long been an attraction, having fueled a healing center for around 50 years, as well as a spa. In the 1990s, the Alabama Division of Youth Services established a boys and girls' ranch there. Then the spring was abandoned for almost 25 years.

The site had become overgrown; so a lot of brush and privet hedges had to be removed. The company worked with the Collins Chapel Fire Department to remove the old Mineral Springs Health Resort Hotel, built in 1911, in a controlled burn that served as a training exercise in 2021. Construction on the new facility then began in March 2023.

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