Metropolitan Wins Silver for Best Tasting Tap Water in the U.S.
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tap water served by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is among the best-tasting in the nation, a panel of judges concluded this weekend as part of the 32nd annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition, featuring nearly 100 entries of water sourced from five continents.
Metropolitan garnered second place in the municipal water category.
“Our staff in water treatment and water quality work tirelessly to ensure the water we deliver is not only safe, but also tastes good,” said Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil. “This award is a celebration of that work and the commitment we have to our communities to consistently deliver the highest quality water, even in the face of challenges like drought and climate change.”
Metropolitan’s 2022 silver-medal water was imported from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu via Metropolitan’s Colorado River Aqueduct and safely treated with a state-of-the-art ozone process at the Robert B. Diemer Water Treatment Plant in Yorba Linda. As it leaves the plant, it receives a small amount of chlorine disinfection to ensure continued quality and safety throughout the distribution system.
Metropolitan has entered the international water tasting competition for over two decades, achieving first place in 2021, 2008 and 1998; second place in 2000 and 2003; and third place in 2005.
Metropolitan’s rigorous water treatment process at its five plants uses ozone as the primary disinfectant, which destroys a wide variety of microorganisms and effectively removes unpleasant tastes and odors. Metropolitan also tests water for almost 400 constituents and performs about 250,000 water quality tests annually, ensuring it meets or surpasses stringent federal and state drinking water regulations that protect public health.
Water from the Diemer plant is distributed via gravity-flow to Metropolitan’s member agencies in coastal Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Diemer plant treats water from both the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project and has a treatment capacity of 520 million gallons a day.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provide water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
Contacts
Rebecca Kimitch, (202) 821-5253, cell; rkimitch@mwdh2o.com
Maritza Fairfield, (909) 816-7722, cell; mfairfield@mwdh2o.com
