Congratulations to the City of Chilliwack, winners of the 2015 BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA) Tap Water Taste Test.
The taste test was held on May 28, 2015 at the BCWWA’s annual conference, the largest peer-to-peer style conference for the water industry in Western Canada. The conference examines how communities can conserve and protect water resources, and build respect for our water and wastewater systems’ role in safeguarding public health, the environment, and quality of life. Kelowna made a splash last year when its tap water was crowned the provincial champion in the BC Water and Waste Association’s inaugural “Best of the Best” Tap Water Challenge. A panel of selected “aqualiers” judged tap water from around BC and the Yukon based on appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel, aftertaste, and overall impression in the second annual event.
“British Columbia has knowledgeable and passionate water professionals who ensure we have access to safe, secure and sustainable water and wastewater systems, ” says Tanja McQueen, CEO of the 4,700-member BCWWA. “We all need to remember that there is no substitute for the water we use daily. We cannot take it for granted. The Tap Water Taste Test is a way to celebrate our water systems and remind everyone that investment in these essential systems is an investment in our health, a clean environment, and our economic prosperity.”
More than 90 per cent of B.C. residents source their water from municipal distribution systems. Many communities that entered to compete returned for a second year to prove their water was the best. Other communities that competed included City of Prince George, Furry Creek, Radium, City of Kamloops, Harrison Hot Springs, City of Penticton, Lillooet Lake, Bralorne, Gold Bridge, Squamish, Clearbrook, Rutland, City of Nelson, RDNO – Greater Vernon and City of Kelowna.
