Champion water supply contending for title again
Sticking to its “winning formula” at the 2023 National Water Taste Test, the Waimate District Council has chosen to enter water from Otaio in the 2024 competition.
Waimate District Council group asset manager Dan Mitchell said the Otaio water supply had been chosen to represent the district again in 2024, because they were “keen to stick with the winning formula”.
Mitchell said the council was “quietly confident” it would win again.
“Anything can happen on though.”
The annual competition was organised by the Water Industry Operations Group (WIOG) and had been won by South Canterbury supplies three times in recent years.
Waimate’s Otaio supply won in 2023, and Timaru’s Pleasant Point supply won in 2019 and 2021.
WIOG chair Joshua McIndoe said all municipal water suppliers in New Zealand were invited to compete and submit their “finest drop”.
McIndoe said the competition was a fun way to raise awareness of the quality of drinking water in New Zealand, and to “recognise the efforts of local water operators and their teams to deliver valuable water services to their communities”.
“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to the day cook and to shower, with little thought as to the complexities involved in operating and maintaining the water infrastructure,” McIndoe said.
The winner of the 2024 competition would be announced tomorrow evening, at the WIOG conference and awards dinner in New Plymouth.
During judging, water samples were subjected to a blind taste test and rated based on colour, clarity, odour and taste.
The Timaru District Council confirmed water from Geraldine’s upgraded Te Moana water scheme would be entered.
For the first time, the New Zealand winner would go up against Australia’s best-tasting tap water - water from TasWater’s Fern Tree water treatment plant in Tasmania, for a crack at the trans-Tasman title.
The winner of the trans-Tasman competition would be announced shortly after the New Zealand winner was named.
Mitchell said the council was “very excited” at the prospect of a possible trans-Tasman challenge.
“Waimate water is well-known throughout New Zealand, and this is an opportunity to make some waves across the ditch,” he said.
“It is always good to get a win over the Aussies, no matter what the competition.”
If Otaio could do it all again, it would round out a winning week for the little South Canterbury settlement after 10-yearold Otaio girl Tapaita Fonokalafi won the Little Miss Universe title while representing New Zealand, in Turkey, yesterday.