The Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) has held its annual IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competitions for New South Wales and the ACT, and Western Australia, the winners of which will go head to head against each other and other states for the national title.
Water Corporation’s Cue Water Treatment Plant won the Western Australian title and Rous County Council’s Nightcap Water Treatment Plant won the New South Wales/ACT title for 2023.
All water suppliers in these states were invited to submit a sample of their finest drop to WIOA. The awards were judged and presented in Canberra on Wednesday, 1 November at the annual WIOA conference.
The winners have bragging rights over the other water suppliers in their states for the next 12 months and will go on to battle it out against the best from other states for the Australian title in mid-November. After Melbourne Water’s Cresswell water treatment plant in Healesville took out the coveted Australian title in 2022, the 2023 national competition will be hosted in Victoria on Saturday, 18 November.
The annual IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competition is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness of the quality of drinking water in Australia, and to recognise the efforts of local water service providers in delivering valuable water services to their communities.
Water samples are subjected to a blind taste test and rated according to the Water Tasting Wheel, which outlines some of the attributes that water professionals use when judging water such as colour, clarity, odour and taste.
In its search for the best tasting tap water in each state and nationally, WIOA invites all water suppliers to participate in the competition.
WIOA CEO, Dean Barnett, said that the competition recognises and acknowledges the individuals and organisations that are stepping up, some in very trying circumstances, to make sure their communities are supplied with safe drinking water every day.
“We want to use the competition to let people know the great work that is going on in local communities around Australia, and help to shape and secure Australia’s water future,” Mr Barnett said.
Mr Barnett also acknowledged IXOM’s support of the Best Tasting Tap Water competition.
“Thanks to IXOM’s unwavering commitment and support of the industry, we have been able to continue running the competition.”
IXOM Managing Director and CEO, Bryce Wolfe, said that IXOM is proud to be the sponsor of the prestigious 2023 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competition.
“IXOM has been involved in water treatment for more than a century. We supply chemicals to water treatment plants all over Australia to help ensure that Australia continues to have world-class, high-quality water,” Mr Wolfe said.
The winner of the IXOM 2023 Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition will go on to represent Australia at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in West Virginia, USA.
