Challenge Coincides with Drinking Water Week Across BC, Celebrating BC's World-Renowned Water
VANCOUVER, May 7, 2014 /CNW/ - After being compared to nearly a dozen other entrants in the inaugural BC Water & Waste Association's (BCWWA) "Best of the Best" tap water taste test challenge, the City of Kelowna was awarded top marks for their drinking water on May 6 at the BCWWA Annual Conference in Whistler.
"British Columbia has some of the highest quality water of anywhere in the world, so the City of Kelowna was up against some formidable challengers," says Tanja McQueen, CEO of the 4,700-member BCWWA. "We congratulate Kelowna on this honour as they should be very proud of the work they do every day to deliver clean, great tasting water to their residents."
Tap water entered in to the challenge was sampled by four water taste professionals or "aqualiers", who were not advised which communities had entered the competition. The judges were:
The judges rated each sample on a scale of 1-5 on criteria that included appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel, aftertaste, and overall impression.
"It's gratifying when all our investments in innovative water treatment technology through the years results in recognition for our clear, great tasting drinking water. We need to also give credit to the waste water treatment process we have that returns clean effluent to our drinking water source - Okanagan Lake," said Kelowna Utility Services Manager Kevin Van Vliet.
The contest was held as part of the BCWWA's Drinking Water Week celebrations, to raise awareness about the value of water. Most Canadians take for granted that when they turn on their taps, fresh water will appear, and when they flush their toilets it will disappear, without giving much thought to the network of infrastructure and the people that make this happen.
RBC's 2014 Canadian Water Attitudes Survey indicates that less than one-third of Canadians know where their drinking water comes from, and fewer than 1 in 5 are aware of the condition of their water infrastructure. The BC Water & Waste Association is working to raise awareness about the value of water to ensure that there is public support for the investment that will be needed over the next decade to ensure that future generations will also enjoy clean, safe water.
About BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA):
The BCWWA is a professional association that represents the people who work every day to keep your water clean and safe - from the source to your tap and back to the source. More information can be found at www.bcwwa.org.
For more information about Drinking Water Week or the Community Water Challenge, and to find out about events in your area, please visit www.drinkingwaterweek.org.
Image with caption: "Mike Gosselin is the City of Kelowna's Wastewater Treatment Supervisor who accepted the award on Kelowna's behalf on May 6, at the BCWWA Annual Conference in Whistler. (CNW Group/BC Water and Waste Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140507_C7222_PHOTO_EN_40085.jpg
Image with caption: "BC Water and Waste Association's inaugural "Best of the Best" tap water challenge on May 5. Aqualiers are judging tap water from 11 communities based on appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel, aftertaste, and overall impression. (Left to right: Robert Haller, Executive Director of Canadian Water & Waste Associaton; Robert LeCrom, Executive Chef at Fairmont Chateau in Whistler; Sandra Ralston, President of Water Environment Federation; Rosemary Smud, Vice President of American Water Works Association) (CNW Group/BC Water and Waste Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140507_C7222_PHOTO_EN_40084.jpg
SOURCE: BC Water and Waste Association
Media Contacts
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