Best drop judged here
Garden City hosts water comp finals
TOOWOOMBA locals got the opportunity to choose this year’s best tap water in Australia. The Water Industry Operators Association of Australia held the 4th Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition yesterday at Grand Central. The winners of the competition were announced in the previous year’s winning city. This year’s winner was Wannon Water from Hamilton in Victoria. Wannon Water operations manager John Harris said the award meant a lot for the company. “This plant was a basket case ago 10 years,” Mr Harris said. “We had two section 18 notifications sitting on us which affected our reputation.” A section 18 under the Department of Health is a notification when a water supplier realises their supplied drinking water is unlikely to comply with the standard. “In eight years, we have turned that plant around and now we not only have the best tasting water in Victoria, we have the best tasting water in Australia,” Mr Harris said.
About 200 people blind-tasted five water samples from Yeppoon, Port Macquarie, Bryn Esty, Woolpunda and Hamilton. Samples were judged on colour, clarity, odour, mouth-feel and taste.
Toowoomba Regional Council water and waste committee chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield said the council was going back to the drawing board for next year’s competition.
“It’s good to have the competition because it highlights the importance of providing safe water to our communities,” she said.
Wannon Water will represent Australia at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in the US.