The official winner of the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) 5th Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition has been announced after a hard fought battle between the states.
The winner was announced at the 3 Peaks festival in Dunkeld in Victoria, one of the towns supplied by last year’s winning sample from Wannon Water, on Saturday 19 October 2019.
After a fierce contest against the other state winners, Mackay Regional Council – Marian Water Treatment Plant was announced as the overall winner for 2019.
The winning sample was decided using a blind taste test which judged the samples on colour, clarity, odour, mouthfeel and taste.
Marian Water Treatment Plant will now go on to represent Australia at the Berkeley Springs International Tap Water Tasting Competition in the US next year.
The winning state providers invited to submit samples at the national competition were:
- Queensland: Mackay Regional Council – Marian Water Treatment Plant
- NSW/ACT: Shoalhaven Water – Bamarang Water Treatment Plant, Nowra
- Tasmania: TasWater – Mount Leslie Water Treatment Plant, Launceston
- South Australia: SA Water – Swan Reach Water Treatment Plant
- Victoria: Barwon Water – Geelong West Water Treatment Plant
- Western Australia: Water Corporation – Mundaring Water Treatment Plant
While the competition itself is all in the spirit of good fun, there is a meaningful undertone to it, recognising the hard work of those who ensure safe, clean drinking water is available to us, every day.
Stephen Rasdell, Ixom’s General Manager of Water, said that there’s an important reason for Ixom’s involvement in the Best Tasting Tap Water competition.
“We have been involved in Australian water treatment for some 80 years and are incredibly proud of the work being done in this space. Ixom has the expertise and experience to ensure high quality drinking water is supplied to homes around Australia,” Mr Rasdell said.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this event and to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals and communities in supplying and maintaining exceptional water quality.”
WIOA Chief Operations Officer, Craig Mathisen, said the competition is a testament to the quality of Australian water and to the diligence and commitment of the operational employees who deliver it to our communities.
“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to cook and shower, with little consideration of what it takes to operate and maintain the water infrastructure. We want to celebrate our unsung heroes – the water operators and the maintenance crews who work all year-round to ensure we have high quality water, which is essential to keep us alive,” Mr Mathisen said.