The Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) has announced the Victorian winner of the 2024 Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition.
Yarra Valley Water took out the top prize over finalists Barwon Water, North East Water and Central Highlands Water at WIOA’s 85th Victorian Water Industry Operations Conference and Exhibition.
Competition judges included De.mem-Stevco Director, Steve Russell, Albury City Council Team Leader Treatment Services (Water and Wastewater), Heidi Josipovic, and IXOM representative Zarif Yazid.
The judges were in agreement that all the samples were of a very high standard across the three categories (odour, taste and clarity).
Yarra Valley Water will now go on to battle it out against the best from other states for the Australian title in November 2024.
The 2024 national competition will be hosted in Tasmania, after TasWater’s Fern Tree water treatment plant took out the Australian title in 2023.
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 – think wine tasting without needing to spit out the samples and you won’t be far wrong.
The winner of the IXOM 2024 Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition will have the opportunity to represent Australia at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in West Virginia, US.
