Indiana Correspondent

WALNUT GROVE, Ind. — After making a splash with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and his wife, Cheryl, spring water that bubbles to the surface in rural Greene County, Ind., has now caused a ripple among Hollywood celebrities.

Walnut Grove Spring Water, in its 12.6-ounce glass swing-top bottle, was the featured water in gift bags given to the celebrities at the 2007 Emmy Awards on Sept. 16.

“GBK Productions is the premier celebrity gift bag provider, and we seek out the world’s premier products to participate, of which Walnut Grove Spring Water is an outstanding addition to our offerings,” said GBK Productions President Gavin Keilly in a press release.

Walnut Grove Spring Water is hand-bottled just a few hundred yards from its source in eastern Greene County by area residents. It’s “respectfully collected,” and as little nonrenewable energy as possible is used throughout the entire environmentally friendly operation.

Everything on the bottles is recyclable, according to Duane Smith, who owns the company with his wife, Leslie.

The source is one of the largest natural springs in the Midwest and one of only two certified natural spring sources in Indiana. Geologists believe Walnut Grove Spring was formed by a glacier during the Ice Age.

Calcium, magnesium and potassium occur naturally in the water and remain after filtration. Walnut Grove Spring Water is filtered via micron, multimedia and ultraviolet filtration; it isn’t molecularly altered by reverse osmosis, purification or distillation. The water is moderately hard, moderately high in dissolved solids and has a nearly neutral pH of 6.7.

“I only drink water, and this is the best water I’ve ever tasted,” said Albert Reed of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Celebrities at the Emmys were offered an opportunity to sign up for a free case of Walnut Grove Spring Water per month for six months. According to Walnut Grove Spring Water Executive Vice President Ryan Bass, the stars took the company up on its offer, and nearly all of them expressed an interest in purchasing extra from the company’s e-commerce website, as well.

“Creating consumer interest for our product has always been our number one market strategy,” Bass said. “We’re flattered by the response of some of Hollywood’s best known celebrities, and we think their response speaks volumes about the quality of our product and the viability of our company.”

The preferred drinking water of the Indiana governor’s residence – served at official events, as well as at his home – Walnut Grove Spring Water appears to be on its way to being a Hollywood favorite, too. Some of the 34 signups receiving Walnut Grove Spring Water include Charlie Sheen of “Two and a Half Men,” Debra Messing of “The Starter Wife,” Blair Underwood of “Dirty Sexy Money,” David Krumholtz of “Numb3rs,” Lorraine Bracco of “The Sopranos” and Paula Abdul of “American Idol.”

“There is definitely a stark contrast in lifestyle between our farm and Hollywood, but the celebrities are very nice and approachable,” Smith said. “Their celebrity stature can bring a great deal of exposure to our product, and we’re thrilled they all enjoyed it so much.

“Countless celebrities were overwhelmingly positive about the remarkably pure taste of the water, the eco-friendly glass packaging and the unique swing-top closure.”

In addition to the swing-top bottles, the water is available in five-gallon bottles for home and office and can be purchased online at www.walnutgrove spring.com