Must be in the Water
Twenty thousand years ago, an aquifer on the western slope of the Uinta Mountains sealed itself against time and all living things. Protected from the intrusions of civilization, the confined water remained pure. The secret liquid resource lay undisturbed and unknown.
Fast-forward a few thousand decades to the present. The recently drilled Humbug Well taps into this pristine water cavern 1,800 feet below the surface of the earth. Blended with other mountain spring water, it provides the citizens of Oakley, Utah with a refreshing new municipal water source. And something more.
“We think we have a real terrific find,” says Blake Frazier, mayor of Oakley and Summit County auditor. When the Humbug Well water was initially tested, something truly amazing was discovered. There was a complete absence of bacteria, as well as arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals. Most surprisingly, however, the water tested “virtually free of tritium” — the outcome of nuclear warhead testing during the Cold War. By measuring tritium contamination levels, the age and origin of water can be determined. When Oakley’s new water was carbon-dated by a laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the results confirmed this water did not just predate the 1940s — it was as old as the ice age.
Several years and lawsuits later, Oakley gained the rights to the water and has now sold a portion of it to Bob Sasser, who bottles the water for his Wasatch Ice Water Company. “They had the water and I had the background (in the food business),” Sasser said. Sasser sees his involvement with the Oakley water venture as “fate” he said, after a chance meeting with Oakley’s former mayor, who pitched the idea to him.
Now, a new bottling facility located just below the Humbug Well receives the 20,000-year-old water directly from the aquifer. According to Sasser, this water is not exposed to oxygen, common in the life cycle of most water. A nifty closure on the lavender “flex” bottle insures its purity, and boxes of “Park City Ice Water” are loaded on truck docks and distributed to local retailers. That’s right, Oakley’s water has been given a “Park City” identity for marketing purposes.
Someday, Sasser’s Wasatch Ice Water Company hopes to sell premium bottles of Park City Ice Water to Japanese health spas and restaurants for over $100 per bottle. The source is not limitless, however. There is only a 35-year capacity at the predicted rate of usage. Sasser’s plans are to reach $100 to $150 million per year within the first five years of his business.
With seven and a half percent of Wasatch Ice Water Company profit going to Oakley, Blake Frazier hopes to receive some money for his city this year. Eventually, he expects a half million dollars per year. “We’re excited about it and think it’s a good venture,” he says. “And, we haven’t spent any of the money yet.”
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