KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Mountain Valley Spring Water, Sending Water To Japan

By Michelle Rupp

Hot Springs - One Arkansas company is doing it's share to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami.  Mountain Valley Spring Water in Hot Springs is sending more than ten thousand cases of it's bottled water.

These green bottles have been to the White House, featured in movies and soon will be on their way to the other side of the world.  Mountain Valley Water has been exporting to Japan for several years.  A few weeks ago however, their orders got much larger.  "Certainly after the tsunami and the need for good, clean, premium water, we got the call and as we speak we are actually loading ocean going containers." says Taylor Cranor, of Mountain Valley Spring Company.

The bottles will be shipped from Hot Springs, to Memphis, Tennessee.  Then loaded on a railcar and sent to Southern California then onto Yokohama, Japan.  "We're pleased nature has dealt us with the capacity to supply them.  Certainly Hot Springs is in not in any proximity to Japan but they fact they called on us we're very proud of for the state of Arkansas and for Mountain Valley"

More than a thousand cases will be filled by the end of the day.  Every bottle on the line Tuesday is ear marked for Japan.  Even down to the label.  "If you look at the translation on our bottle, all though I cannot translate it for you, is very much in detail to keep the Japanese consumer very informed of the quality of our product."

It'll take about 6 weeks for these bottles to reach Yokohama, Japan.  They will then be distributed to retailers throughout the region.