Water: Matamata-Piako District Council a finalist for NZ’s best-tasting public supply

A Waikato council has been nominated for the best-tasting tap water in New Zealand. Photo / Michael Heim

Matamata-Piako District Council (MPDC) is one of four finalists in the IXOM National Water Taste Test competition.

The council’s water supply on Matamata’s Till Rd is nominated alongside Rotorua Lakes District Council (Karamu Springs), Veolia Central Hawke’s Bay District Council (Tikokino Rd) and Kāpiti Coast District Council (Rangiuru, Ōtaki) as having New Zealand’s best-tasting tap water.

If MPDC wins the title, it would be only the second Waikato council to win the competition. Waikato District Council won the accolade in 2018.

The winner of the New Zealand competition will take on Australia’s best-tasting tap water, TasWater of Tasmania, at the inaugural Trans-Tasman Best Tasting Tap Water competition.

The water taste test has been run by the Water Industry Operations Group (WIOG) since 2016 as a fun way to raise awareness around the quality of drinking water and to recognise the efforts of local water operators and their teams who deliver the services to their communities.

Matamata-Piako District Council offices in Matamata. Photo / Malisha Kumar

Every year, all municipal water suppliers around the country are invited to submit a sample of their “finest drop” to the WIOG.

The water samples undergo a blind taste test and are rated for their colour, clarity, odour and taste.

WIOG chairman Joshua McIndoe said the competition was significant.

“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to cook, and to shower, with little thought as to the complexities involved in operating and maintaining the water infrastructure.

“This competition acknowledges the individuals and organisations that step up to ensure their communities are supplied with safe drinking water every day.”

The 2024 Best Tasting Tap Water winner in New Zealand will be announced in New Plymouth at the WIOG conference and awards dinner today, at 7.30pm.

The winner of the Trans-Tasman Best Tasting Tap Water title will be announced by 8pm.

The WIOG is a national not-for-profit incorporation formed in 2006 by a group of water and wastewater operations professionals to promote the water industry and provide its members with the opportunities to enhance their knowledge.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.

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