What does the BIOTA acronym mean?
BIOTA is the acronym for: "Blame It On The Altitude(r)." BIOTA Rocky Mountain Spring water comes from one of the highest natural alpine springs in the world, high above Ouray, Colorado. Everything and anything people do in the mountains often gets 'blamed on the altitude". Why is our water so good? We simply "Blame It On The Altitude!" As luck would have it, our name is more than just a product title: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines "BIOTA" as "the combined flora and fauna of a region." Ancient Greeks used the term "BIOTA" to mean a "way of life."

Does BIOTA really come from one of the highest springs in the world?
Yes. Snowmelt water is filtered over one hundred years through 13,000-foot peaks, emerging from its source 9,010 feet above sea level. We believe this spring, now in commercial use, is one of the highest and purest alpine springs in the world.

What is a protected source?
BIOTA's source literally never sees the light of day. Buried beneath rock formations located above Ouray, Colorado at an altitude of 9,010 feet, the underground spring is protected from the elements and human contact. The water flows directly from these formations, through BIOTA's collection system directly to our bottling plant in Ouray. Simply stated, The Protected Source(tm) guarantees that there is no chance of any type of contaminations from outside influences such as agriculture, mining, etc. Many bottled waters are packaged hundreds of miles from their "source."