Elyon Murry Springs Bottling Co. Inc. By Art Nadler Located in the east central part of the state just outside the little mountain town of Ely, NV. flows a natural water source estimated to be at least 10,000 years old. This artesian well is the home of the Elyon Murry Springs Bottling Co. Keith Carson, 47, built the 3,600 square-foot bottling plant and opened it July 4, 1997, on 12 acres, 120 feet from the spring. An estimated - and unbelievable - 3 million gallons of water flows from the spring everyday, Carson says, which makes it one of the most abundant springs in the world.

Elyon bottled water has no chemicals in it, no chlorine and has never had a history of bacteria contamination, Carson says. In fact, he proudly boasts, the Food and Drug Administration has rated Elyon water to be the most correctly balanced water in the western United States. The Environmental Protection Agency also approved it as an excellent water source. "Our water is a dual registered water source. We're proud of that," he says. "We feel it is the finest drinking water on the planet." Elyon Murry Springs Bottling Co., #1 Murry Springs Circle, is a family owned and operated business. Keith is the president; his son, Kurt, is general manager and vice president; his sister Kim McConoghy serves as receptionist and secretary, and an uncle is the secretary-treasurer. "We built the whole plant and did everything ourselves except the carpeting," Carson says. "It took a huge amount of research. I went all over the West, visiting bottlers, getting ideas; learning from other's experiences." The Murry Springs Bottling Co. bottles 2,000 half-liter bottles a day, 3,500 1-liter bottles and 2,000 1.5 liter bottles. The company also produces 3 and 5-gallon jugs for home and office dispensers. What makes Elyon water taste so good, Carson says, is that it is filtered three times through a sophisticated system using an ozonator for sterilization. One micron filter is half the size of a human hair. "The only thing left in the water when we are done is the natural minerals," Carson says. "This is the most true to what water should be." Besides producing some of the highest-quality water in the world, Murry Springs Bottling Co. has also been an innovator in plant construction design. Carson installed the same silver reflective insulation material used in the space shuttle along the interior walls of his facility. He says the insulation reflects more light, which reduces his electric bills, and puts less strain on the building's heating and cooling system. Now, Carson says, other water bottling companies around the country are using the same silver insulation in their plants. Carson's entry into the bottled-water business may be fairly recent, but he plans to become a major force in the industry. He comes from a construction background. His father, Dewey Carson, operated the Carson Construction Co. for years in Nevada. The elder Carson moved his family from Las Vegas to Ely in 1969 and reestablished the construction company on the former Ely Dairy site just north of the town. Keith was born at Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas. His mother was from Overton, NV. His father was originally from Ray; Colo. Carson says he started Murry Springs Bottling Co. because he didn't want family members to labor under the hot sun in the construction industry. He also wanted to leave his son a successful business as a legacy. And with Elyon water's reputation quickly spreading, it looks like the aspiring entrepreneur is on his way to achieving that lofty goal. Elyon water is distributed in Northern Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Idaho. Carson says his plant is currently operating at only 30 percent in the winter and 50 percent during the summer. He's constantly looking for new outlets of distribution. For more information on Elyon bottled water, contact: Murry Springs Bottling Co. Inc., P.O. Box 330, Ely, NV. 89301. Phone (775) 289-2226. Fax: (775) 289-2234.