Yarra Valley Water has been named the Victorian winner of the 2024 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition.
The winning sample came from Yarra Valley Water’s Plantes Hill Reservoir in Lilydale.
Winners were announced at the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia’s hotly contested competition in Bendigo.
Judges sip water samples in scenes similar to a wine tasting competition, assessing the best colour, clarity, odour and taste.
Yarra Valley Water Managing Director Pat McCafferty said he was thrilled at the result.
“We’re delighted to be delivering the best tap water in Victoria to our customers. It just goes to show that you don’t need to spend money on bottled water when you can get world class water – straight from your tap!”
Melbourne’s water has a reputation of being one of the purest in the world, and it’s no accident. Most of Melbourne’s drinking water comes from protected catchments to the east of Melbourne that have been closed to the public for over 100 years to keep the water clean.
Pat McCafferty said strict quality controls are in place to protect the all-important taste.
“Melbourne is one of the few cities in the world to get tap water from protected catchments. We treat the water to ensure that it’s of the highest quality, and we’re very fortunate that it needs little treatment because water sources are pristine,” Mr McCafferty said.
The original source is from Melbourne Water Silvan Reservoir, and it’s then treated in Lilydale and supplied through Yarra Valley Water’s local water supply network.
The next step for Yarra Valley Water is on the national stage in November at the National Championships in Tasmania.
The winner will have the opportunity to represent Australian at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in West Virginia, US.
