A panel of water industry experts from across the country has judged water produced from SA Water’s Morgan Water Treatment Plant as the best tasting tap water in the state for the second year in a row.
Water from the Morgan site was one of around 20 samples from treatment plants around the state considered at the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia’s (WIOA) Water Interest Day.
SA Water’s Morgan Water Treatment Coordinator, James Gorman, said after winning the 2016 state competition, he was quietly confident they could take out the trophy a second time.
“We work hard to produce safe and clean water for the more than 130,000 customers the Morgan Water Treatment Plant supplies, so it’s great to be recognised for our efforts,” Mr Groman said.
“Water from Morgan consistently rates high in our own blind water taste tests we run each year at events across the state, so we had a feeling it would fare well with the judges.
“Our taste test helps to open up discussions around tap water and challenge outdated views on what it tastes like.”
The Morgan Water Treatment Plant has been operating since 1986 and can produce up to 200 million litres of drinking water a day.
“Last year the plant produced around 29,853 million litres of water, which is around 40 per cent of what was supplied to the whole of regional South Australia,” Mr Gorman said.
“There’s certainly something special in the water at Morgan – the fantastic team at our treatment plant that work hard every day!”
WIOA Chief Operations Officer, Craig Mathisen, said the event is about showcasing the quality of water produced in South Australia, and educating people on where their water comes from.
“Generally, if you ask people on the street where their water comes from, they’ll just say it’s from the tap – but there’s a lot that happens to it before it gets to people’s houses,” Mr Mathiesen said.
“The Water Interest Day is our way to honour the hard work of all the people who ensure the best water is supplied to people every day.”
Samples were also entered into the competition from SA Water’s Woolpunda, Cadell and Penneshaw water treatment facilities, as well as from sites in Happy Valley, the Barossa and Little Para, which are operated by SA Water’s metropolitan alliance partner Allwater.
A sample from Morgan will now compete for the Australian title at an event in Tasmania in October 2017 as part of National Water Week.
The winner of the national competition will then go to represent Australia in the international competition held in the US in early 2018.
