BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV — The title of “World’s Best Tap Water” belongs to defending champion Clearbrook Waterworks District, British Columbia, according to a February 21 Travel Berkeley Springs press release.
The title was acquired during the 19th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, known as the “Academy Awards of water,” held at the Country Inn in Berkeley Springs on February 21.
The best municipal water in the United States was judged to be first-time winner Hamilton, OH, rated by one judge as “pleasantly sweet.”
Another British Columbia community, the village of Montrose, won the silver medal, while bronze was won by the town of Bath, the official municipality within Berkeley Springs.
Best Bottled Water in the World had a first-place tie that included water from the same springs that won the 2008 tasting. Grand Springs Natural Spring Water of Alton, VA, shared the gold with H20m Water With Intention from Palomar Mountain, CA.
The silver medal for bottled water was won by Kiowata, Longford, KS, while a pair of West Virginia waters placed third and fourth — Almost Heaven, which bottles Berkeley Springs water, and fourth-place winner, SweetSommer, Gap Mills, WV, a return winner.
StoneClear Springs of Vanleer, TN, placed first in the Purified Water category.
One hundred waters from 16 states and eight foreign countries were evaluated, of which 23 were municipal waters from nine states and Canada. The tasting included 33 bottled waters. Arthur von Wiesenberger, author and founder of the BottledWaterWeb.com Web site, again served as the event's watermaster.
To read the full press release, click here.
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