Colorado Impact

While we just KNOW that our water is the best tasting water you can find here in Colorado (or anywhere else in the country), we humbly acknowledge that water can be found anywhere and everywhere on earth. 

Of course, water is crucial to life. According to LiveScience, “several chemical properties of water make it indispensable for living creatures… At heart, all life on Earth uses a membrane that separates the organism from its environment. To stay alive, the organism takes in important materials for making energy, while shuttling out toxic substances such as waste products. In this regard, water is essential simply because it's a liquid at Earth-like temperatures. Because it flows, water provides an efficient way to transfer substances from a cell to the cell's environment.”

I know! Exciting stuff, right? We all know that water is important to life, but it has nonetheless been truly exciting to see and hear how our water is being used to not only stimulate life, but also support the growth of a local business that is preparing to teach others about how to create a sustainable source of food through aquaponics.

A Bit About Aquaponics (and It’s Next-of-Kin, Hydroponics)

Aquaponics and hydroponics are both methods of growing plants without the use of soil, using nutrient-rich water instead to feed the plants. But there are some key differences between the two methodologies. Hydroponics relies on a nutrient-rich solution which requires human intervention to replenish. Aquaponics combines the principles of aquaculture and hydroponics to create a closed-loop system that does not require human-provided replenishment. Employing aquaculture—the practice of breeding fish—aquaponics utilizes fish waste to provide the nutrients the plants need to grow, and the plants filter and clean the water for the fish, creating a self-sustaining system that can be used to produce a variety of crops, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.  Because of this symbiotic relationship between the fish and the plant life, aquaponics is a more sustainable and cost-effective method of farming than hydroponics. 

Introducing BountyHaus School Farms

BountyHaus School Farms is a unique initiative that provides learners with a sustainable source of food, while teaching them about sustainable farming practices through aquaponics. BountyHaus School Farms “makes learning fun by engaging and empowering student education everywhere. Students have the opportunity to grow food in schools with the help of BountyHaus’ aquaponic technology. Students learn from the source with BountyHaus, understanding more about nutrients inside healthy food, our environment, the diversity of various ecosystems, study microbiology in aquaponics and careers in agriculture and environment.”

BountyHaus has developed and is refining a module-based environment that includes everything a school, business, community or church would need to create their own sustainable aquaponics grow house. And, much like us at Eldorado Natural Spring Water, BountyHaus believes in educating and nurturing healthy habits, sustainable energy practices (like solar power), and leaving a better future for our children.

And They Get Their Water From…

When selecting the water for their aquaponics systems, requiring one-hundred and eighty 5-gallon bottles, they selected Eldorado Natural Spring Water. Not only did the folks at BountyHaus want to work with another local Colorado company, they also recognized that Eldorado Natural Spring Water is a high-quality water source that is free of pollutants and contaminants. Because our water is also naturally rich in minerals, it makes an ideal choice for supporting aquaponics… because you can’t manufacture natural!

BountyHaus School Farms is developing an innovative way of providing fresh, healthy, and locally sourced food to organizations like schools, businesses, communities and churches, while teaching them about sustainable food production. BountyHaus is a great example of how sustainable farming practices can be used to create a self-sustaining source of healthy, locally sourced food. We at Eldorado Natural Spring Water are proud to support a company that shares its values and commitment to sustainability. We'll drop in from time to time to check on the progress of their crops.

The snow that falls on the mountains in Colorado contributes to more than just the beautiful scenery. Snow and other precipitation ultimately provide both the surface water and the groundwater that we use for drinking—not to mention the water that powers rivers and fills lakes for activities like rafting and fishing.

The majority of the life-giving water in Colorado's rivers and streams originates along the continental divide that runs through the majestic mountains. Colorado residents and visitors have a responsibility to keep our waterways free of litter and other pollutants to ensure a clean water supply to our amazing state.

Colorado Waterways and Droughts

Since 2000, the Colorado River Basin has been locked in a drought that experts say is likely to be exacerbated by climate change. Most of Colorado's water comes from snow that falls in the Rocky Mountains and is released into natural reservoirs that are gradually utilized over the course of the year. Beginning in 2000, snow has fallen more irregularly in the mountains, including in recent years when totals have been only two-thirds of normal—a concerning record low. 

In addition, worsening droughts and rising temperatures have caused the Colorado River to shrink in recent years. In response, scientists are developing models to better understand how the climate crisis is fundamentally changing this critical 1,450-mile waterway.

Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey have found that human-caused global warming, especially in recent decades, has caused rivers to absorb more solar energy, increasing the amount of water lost through evaporation. They've also found that the Colorado River is dwindling, threatening serious water shortages for millions of people who rely on it. 

Groundwater Contamination

Ground water is water from rain and snow that that soaks into the soil. It is a vital resource in Colorado.

When water works its way through the soil to the underground "water table," it can pick up nitrogen, phosphorus and other contaminants. Pollutants in the soil can come from many sources including leakage from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and sanitation systems, gas stations and sewers, as well as from fertilizers used in agriculture.

The polluted water can then end up in public drinking water systems, posing public heath threats to Colorado residents.

Sustaining Colorado Watersheds

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper directed the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to develop Colorado's water plan for the future. The top priorities were to strengthen urban water protection, safeguard water quality, improve water management, enhance vital river and catchment protection measures and support flexible water policies.

Over a two-year period, CWCB's roundtables have brought together stakeholders with a wide range of water needs, including farmers, ranchers, urban and rural communities and water providers to discuss the importance of flexible and reliable water supplies and to brainstorm ideas for maintaining them.

Colorado Businesses Promoting Sustainability

Businesses in Colorado are also getting involved in green initiatives and sustainability measures in response to a growing demand from consumers. Colorado consumers are increasingly looking to do business with brands that align with their values and that are making efforts to protect the environment and our natural resources.

It's critical that Colorado businesses learn to meet their present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In order to achieve this goal, organizations should examine their approach not only to water consumption, but also to energy, materials, recycling, transportation and other aspects of their operation to determine what changes need to occur to make their business more sustainable for the future.

As a bottled spring water and bulk water delivery provider, Eldorado Natural Spring Water has long been a leading advocate of sustainability initiatives in Colorado. We're proud to say that we were the first bottled water company in the U.S. to introduce 100% recycled plastic bottles. Recycled bottles require 77% less energy to produce and generate 58% fewer emissions in the production process.

In addition, we recycle 96% of the waste from our bottling plant, including paper, cardboard and plastic. We even generate 50% of the energy for our Colorado headquarters from a rooftop solar system.

In short, we're serious about protecting the Colorado environment that gives us all so much.