Turns out that 18,966 B.C. was apparently a good year for water.

At least that's what a small Summit County town and founders of the fledgling Park City IceWater Co. are banking on.

Beginning today, Evian, Dasani and Mount Olympus will make room on the bottled-water shelf at Ken's Kash General Store in Oakley for an Ice Age liquid that might have once wet the whistles of woolly mammoths and cavemen.

The Oakley market will be the first to taste-test the portable and pure Park City IceWater, which might end up turning into liquid gold for the town and owners of the Utah-based bottled-water company.

The tale behind how the water was discovered fits into local lore right along with how silver was first found in the Park City hills — or at least that's how the story goes on the back of the innovative flexible, plastic pouch that can be rolled up but not reused.

Here's the watered-down version: Several years ago, Oakley officials were searching the nearby mountains for a new water source for the drying-up town when they drilled into a deep aquifer full of ancient H2O. After scientific studies and testing, the water was determined to be about 21,000 years old and so pure it needed no filtration or treatment to be consumed by 21st century humans.

Local officials decided to bottle up their secret and share it with the world to earn revenue when they learned the glacier-created source was 150 miles long and two miles deep and had enough water to last Oakley until the next Ice Age or the year 3000, whichever comes first.

A state law forbids private companies to partner with local governments, so Robert Sasser, a Park City entrepreneur, started his own bottling company and agreed to pay the town royalties on sales. Oakley also has rights to use the water for its residents' needs. The company received local investment money and hired Oakley contractors to build the bottling factory.

"It made everybody happy," said Sasser. "We both share risks and rewards. If the company does well, the town does well."

Sasser expects they'll do more swimming in profits than sinking. He projects $50 million in sales over the next five years with the premium-line water that will cost about $2 for 16 fluid ounces — a high price, Sasser admits, but he says it's worth every penny because of its unique pureness, taste, origins and age.

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If Americans think that's steep, they should try buying Park City IceWater brand "21 IceWater" in Japan. It will be sold to high-end restaurants and will come in a fancy champagne-like French glass bottle with a cork — and a price tag of $100.

"Our water is a different water," the CEO said. "It's the highest-priced water, but we're doing that because we feel like we have the best water."

The grand bottle opening is at 10 a.m. today and will feature a marching band, hot-air balloon and hay-wagon rides, free hot dogs and a random distribution of $100 bills — something that might come in handy if recipients ever get thirsty for old water in Japan.


E-mail: jody@desnews.com

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