The town of Ahuisculco in Mexico is not giving up its pure mountain spring water without a fight.

About four months ago, the townspeople of Ahuisculco became suspicious and concerned when they noticed bulldozers scooping hillocks of dirt near their mountain's spring water.

Apparently, a company called ARN was planning to build molasses containers on the forest area. However, this information hadn't been easy to come by. When the residents asked local government officials about who was doing the digging and why, their questions were turned down.

As a result, they decided to mobilize and form an encampment so bulldozers would have no way of getting into the mountain's spring water. There was no way in, and the construction could not continue. Months passed and eventually, information leaked bit by bit.

This was September, and until now, Ahuisculco's brave residents have been keeping 24-hour surveillance on the construction site.

For generations, the thousands of residents in Ahuisculco have taken pride in their mountain spring water.

"It's life, it's health, it's happiness," a resident named Sergio Santana told Al Jazeera proudly.

The mountain has provided the residents pure water as soon as they open their faucets. Warm and fresh on the skin, the water from the spring also provides a place of recreation for the people during warmer months.

Ahuisculco is located more than an hour from Guadalajara if travelled via vehicle. Meanwhile, the mountain spring is near the La Primavera Biosphere Reserve. The location alone is explanation enough why construction on the site should not be allowed. Therefore, it's a mystery how ARN was able to get permission to proceed with its activities.

According to UNESCO, the forest area "is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and genetic heritage, and promoting the continuity of the evolutionary processes. It constitutes a living laboratory for scientific research and environmental education."

The townspeople of Ahuisculco know this. They are aware of how lucky they are for the mountain's spring water and that they should protect it.

According to Al Jazeera, tap water in several Mexican cities are far from Ahuisculco's. In Guerrero State, which is near the town, tap water reportedly smells like it came from the sewers.

"We're going to defend our water. We don't want our water contaminated and our kids to get sick, for us to be sick or the animals to be sick," a resident named Sonia Aranda said.

In 2013, when molasses spilled into a Jalisco lake, the impact had been devastating, and the memories from the disaster is still fresh in the minds of the residents. Fish in the water died, and according to the residents, local officials denied any responsibility for the spill.

The town of Ahuisculco does not want the same happening to the mountain.

When Al Jazeera asked Tala Secretary General Alberto Ramirez about ARN's history, he said that the company bought the property in 2013. Apparently, the company started digging at the site even without proper permits at a time when the town is transitioning from one mayor to another.

Ramirez added that officials are working within the law to stop ARN's construction.

Ahuisculco's residents believe, however, that the government officials are corrupt and the process lacks transparency. Protesters said the officials never consulted the residents and there had been no environmental studies on the site to determine whether there will be a negative impact on the site with the construction.

In the end, the town of Ahuisculco won. Ramirez said that ARN has decided to "move to another place out of the community."

The fight isn't totally over yet though. The protesters want Mexican federal officials to declare the mountain spring and its surrounding area a protected area so that Ahuisculco and future generations could enjoy the gift of pure water from the mountain.