Napier may have hosted drinking water suppliers from around New Zealand as they competed for the title of Best Tasting Tap Water, but it was Timaru that clinched the top spot. 

The Ixom Water Taste Test 2021 saw three finalists chosen from numerous samples entered from around the country. Timaru District Council was recognised as providing the best drop for the second year in a row. 

Proudly hosted by the Water Industry Operations Group (WIOG), the annual competition judges included Graeme Thacker, Founding Member and Life Member of WIOG; Seaton Rolleston, Sales Manager Water & Energy NZ, Ixom; Jim Graham, Principal Technical Advisor, Taumata Arowai; Richard Painter, Winemaker, Villa Maria Estate. 

Water samples were judged qualities like colour, clarity, odour and mouthfeel during a series of blind taste tests. Judges noted the winning sample’s good clarity, clean taste and soft mouthfeel. Judges for 

Ixom Commercial Manager Water & Energy Nathan Swain says that there is an important reason for Ixom’s involvement in the taste test competition. 

“Ixom has been a supplier to New Zealand’s water treatment industry for several decades. We’re proud to sponsor this event that aims to celebrate the sector’s unsung heroes – the water operators
and the maintenance crews who work year-round to ensure we have safe water of consistently high quality,” says Swain.

WIOG Chair Nick Hewer-Hewitt says that the general public would probably be surprised to learn the complexities involved in delivering high-quality water to our taps each day.

“This competition helps to educate the public on how reliable our water supply is, and how much work goes into ensuring safe drinking water. A lot happens to water before it gets to people’s taps, and this competition honours the commitment of those people who ensure the high standard of water delivered every day,” says Hewer-Hewitt.

The other two finalists for the 2021 competition were Waimate District Council and Palmerston North City Council.

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