A sip of Charlotte’s history, right up the road

Midas is the oldest manufacturing company in Mecklenburg County and one of the oldest bottle water companies in the country. The Midas story is filled with mystery and charm and a visit to Midas Spring Water bring you back to a time long gone by.

Midas Spring Water is located 20 minutes north of Uptown Charlotte. Just before reaching Latta Plantation on the south side of Beatties Ford Road is an unobtrusive sign for Midas Spring Water. A short drive down a windy gravel road brings you to a small unassuming building which is the Midas Spring Water facility.

A visit to Midas Spring Water is a great family excursion for adults and children. Jayne Chiesa who runs operations at Midas is very knowledgeable about the history of the property and the story behind Midas Spring Water. Midas is open to the public for visits and direct sales Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

While Midas Spring Water sits along the shore of Mountain Island Lake, the drinking water supply for Charlotte, the water actually comes from an artesian well several hundred feet below the earth’s surface. The water is pumped to the surface, where it is passed through Micron filters and UV lights to ensure that any bacteria is alleviated.

Carefully adjusted ozonation levels are monitored to make sure the unique mineral content is not affected before passing through absolute Micron filters. All of this is done as per FDA requirements.

The water quality facts are prominently displayed on the bottle labels. Because the well is so deep and the water so pure, very little needs to be done to maintain the purity of the water. This sets Midas apart from so many other bottled waters which are spring waters versus mineral waters.

Midas distributes water locally in 5 gallon carboys, sells private label water to businesses and sells bottled water at retail establishments such as Earth Fare.

The legend of Midas Spring Water

Legend has it that the migrating Catawba Indian tribe discovered the Midas spring. When one young man fell ill and had to be left behind as the tribe moved with the seasons, it is said that he remained by the spring and drank the pure water and was restored to health by the time the tribe returned the following year.

While the true medicinal value of drinking Midas Spring Water can be contested, Midas is naturally occurring mineral water, which is different than spring water. The purity and chemical makeup of Midas ranks with the best waters in the world as shown on the chart below.

As someone who appreciates local history and loves to support local businesses, I buy Midas Spring Water directly from them by case. The water is excellent and the signature blue bottles with the cool gold label are unique. Next time you are sipping a private label water here in Charlotte check the label there is a good chance that it came from Midas.