Best Drinking Water In The Country Decided

Washington, D.C. — A room packed with rural water professionals waited anxiously for the results of the first "Drink Off" to determine the winner of the Great American Water Taste Test. The winner: Perdido Bay Water, Sewer and Fire Protection District in Elberta, AL. Mark Bohlin, a Perdido Bay employee sat watching while Kathy Horne, Executive Director of the Alabama Rural Water Association, leaped from her chair and cheered.

Perdido Bay was one of five finalists chosen from the nearly 50 entries submitted from across the nation to the National Rural Water Association's Great American Water Taste Test. They tied with Allen County Water District from Scottsville, KY, during the initial judging, and the winner was decided with a separate tasting – a Drink Off. Perdido Bay won the honors with Allen County taking second. The City of Manton, MI, won third.

The South Central Regional Water District in Bismark, ND, and the entry from Colorado rounded out the top five.

The entries were tasted be three judges during the Rural Water Luncheon on April 21 in Washington, D.C. Melanie Rhinehart-Van Tassel from North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy's office, Jim Maras from the USDA and Rocky Owens, Vice-President of Engineered Storage Products, a company that makes water tanks and is an NRWA sponsor. The judges evaluated the water samples based on clarity, bouquet and taste.

Entries were selected at the taste tests of state rural water associations, narrowing the 26,696 systems affiliated with the NRWA into around 50 entries. The five finalists were selected from those entries by three judges during the first round of tasting.

The NRWA holds the Great American Taste Test annually and part of the Rural Water Rally in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE: NRWA