You can name your favourite drop of wine or beer but what about tap water? The same question was asked of the judges deliberating at the Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water Australia competition.
Samples from different city councils across Australia are judged to determine just who has the best tasting tap water. After an initial round of heats, one council is chosen to represent each state of Australia.The national competition promotes awareness of the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA). The association aims to promote high standards of education and training to all its members who are Australia's water industry bodies.
The WIOA is dedicated to public health and the environment with its mission to help preserve clean waterways. In 2018, the following city councils made it to the national finals hosted in Toowoomba:
- Livingstone Shire Council – Yeppoon, Queensland
- Wannon Water – Hamilton WTP, Victoria
- Port Macquarie Hastings Council – Port Macquarie, NSW
- TasWater – Bryn Estyn, Tasmania
- SA Water – Woolpunda WTP, South Australia
The water sample from Wannon Water in Victoria took out top honours for the event with over 150 votes. The winning sample will now be entered into the International Water Test hosted in the USA. There it will go up against other award-winning samples from around the world.
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Contact The Water People for expert advice on improving the taste of your tap water.
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How is Australia's best tasting water decided?
Water is judged on criteria including taste, smell, colour, and the chemical additives used. Blind taste tests are carried out to ensure judges don't know the source of the water they're tasting. All samples are served at room temperature to make tasting conditions consistent for each entry.
A tasting wheel is used by judges to rate tap water taste attributes. Judges determine characteristics like saltiness and bitterness. Water is also assessed on its mouthfeel. Judges determine if the water feels oily, chalky, or metallic. One of the most sought-after mouthfeel qualities is effervescence. It's enough to make any judge bubble over with enthusiasm.
Water is also judged by its hard and soft qualities. A higher mineral content will give water a harder quality. Groundwater tends to have a higher mineral content when it's sourced from areas with limestone that leaves traces of calcium and magnesium carbonates.
How to enjoy great-tasting water at home
Did your council's water supply make the finals of Australia's best tasting tap water competition? If yours didn't, there's still an easy way to enjoy tap water worthy of an award. Filtered water taps are the perfect solution for improving the quality of your tap water at home or the office.
Water filter taps have the ability to improve tap water taste, colour, and smell. These improvements are achieved with water filters that effectively screen out micro-particles including aluminium, lead, and micro-organisms. With the right balance of minerals, you'll notice an improvement in the way your water tastes.
Get a new water filter installed by The Water People
The Water People offer a wide range of water filter taps that can improve qualities like tap water taste and appearance. After assessing your needs, our water filter experts can recommend the ideal model for your home or office.
Depending on your requirements, a water filter can be installed in a convenient location like below your kitchen sink or mounted on a kitchen wall. No matter what quality of drinking water is available in your state, there's a water filter solution that can improve tap water taste and quality.
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