Windsor tap water shines in taste test

Second win at conference

Windsor residents pouring themselves a glass of water from the tap should know they may be having some of the finest-tasting tap water in the province.

Windsor’s tap water beat out four other municipalities in a blind taste test at the annual provincial waterworks professionals’ conference in April.

“Every year, municipalities are invited to bring a sample and the water is tasted by a panel of three judges,” said Lesia Kostecki, the marketing and membership manager of the Ontario Water Works Association.

“They anonymously do the taste test and come up with a unanimous decision.”

Kosetecki said the taste test is just supposed to be a fun event. Since only five of the more than 440 Ontario municipalities listed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing participated, this award should not be considered definitive.

John Kehoe, the waterworks engineer for the Town of Lakeshore, said he attended the conference but didn’t bring a tap water sample for the taste test.

The contest’s been held for eight years with Windsor topping the list once before, in 2011.

EnWin Utilities operates the water services for the Windsor Utilities Commission.

The Albert H. Weeks Water Treatment Plant supplies approximately 125 million litres of water to city residents each day, with more delivered during the summer months, according to utilities commission’s website.

In order to make Windsor’s water safe to drink, ozone gas is injected into the water, destroying bacteria and viruses while controlling taste and odour-causing materials, the WUC site explains. Chlorine is also used to kill other organisms that cause bad taste, like algae, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia.