If you live in Fredericton, Bracebridge or Edmonton, your local water utility has something to celebrate after a major North American water tasting competition.
Credit: Swanky Fella
Three Canadian communities were among the regional winners competing in the American Water Works Association’s Best of the Best Water Taste Test at ACE26 in Washington, D.C.
The City of Fredericton won the Best of the Best Taste Test. Fredericton’s public water and wastewater utility dates back to 1884 and serves nearly 19,000 connections. Its water comes from the South Fredericton Aquifer, with 12 production wells supplying groundwater to two water treatment plants.
District of Muskoka in Bracebridge and EPCOR Water Services in Edmonton were among the 32 regional winners from across North America.
The Best of the Best contest was judged by a panel that included trained water flavour profilers. The Village of Sugar Grove, Illinois, placed second, while the Central Utah Water Conservancy District in Vineyard, Utah, finished third.
A separate People’s Choice Water Taste Test, judged by conference attendees, was won by City Corporation in Russellville, Arkansas.
ACE26 ran from June 22 to 24 and brought more than 10,000 water professionals to Washington.
Per the news release, ACE26 is the longest-running water conference in the world.
The American Water Works Association has been around since 1881 and describes itself as the largest nonprofit scientific and educational association focused on managing and treating water. With about 50,000 members, AWWA works on issues tied to public health, environmental protection, the economy and quality of life.