Richmond Valley takes out prize for Australia's tastiest tap water
by Cecilia Harris
The winner of the annual Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition has been announced. New South Wales’s Richmond Valley Council took out the accolade with water produced at the Casino Water Treatment Plant.
Casino’s water sample is now ready for the international stage — it will represent Australia at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition held in West Virginia in the United States.
Casino’s water was up against some serious competition, including finalists Anstey Hill WTP (SA Water/SUEZ), Wyndham WTP (Water Corporation), Ian Bartlett Water Purification Plant (Westernport Water), Rocky Creek WTP (TasWater), and Marian WTP (Mackay Regional Council).
WIOA Chief Operations Officer Craig Mathisen said the competition is a testament to the excellent quality of Australian water, and to the diligence and commitment of the operational employees who deliver it to their communities.
“The general public would probably be surprised to learn the complexities involved in delivering high-quality water to our taps each day,” he said.
“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.”
Celebrating operational employees
Mathisen said celebrating the work of operational employees is now more important than ever, given their unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality drinking water while dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, drought, fires and floods.
“We want to use the Taste Test Competition to let people know the great work that is going on in local communities around Australia as these teams help shape and secure Australia’s water future,” he said.
The competition was streamed online, with the judging panel placed in Hobart, the home state of 2021's winner, the Rossarden Water Treatment Plant in Tasmania. TasWater went on to take out the international competition.
