Toowoomba Reclaims Top Drop Title
Date: 23-Jul-2018
Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has continued its winning streak with water from the Mt Kynoch Water Treatment Plant again taking regional honours in the Ixom Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test.
Delegates attending the Queensland Water Directorate’s urban water conference in Goondiwindi on Wednesday, 18 July participated in a blind taste off of four water samples from across South West Queensland, using a scientifically proven water wheel to judge the entries by colour, odour and taste.
TRC’s Water and Waste Committee Chair Cr Nancy Sommerfield said this was a great achievement for Council.
“We are proud of this award as this reaffirms our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality water for our residents,” she said.
TRC’s Manager of Water Operations, John Mills said the winning drop came from the Mt Kynoch Water Treatment Plant which sources water from Toowoomba’s three dams and uses conventional treatment - flocculation, settling, filtration, chlorination and fluoridation - before it is distributed to the community.
Toowoomba Regional Council’s water and wastewater team have been basking in glory for more than a year, first taking out the 2016 Queensland title of the IXOM Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test, then defeating NSW in the 2017 IXOM Water of Origin competition before finally taking out the IXOM Best Tap Water in Australia competition in 2017. They then went on to represent Australia at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition.
Southern Downs Regional Council’s sample from the Killarney Water Treatment Plant, which won the People’s Choice Award at two community taste tests events in Stanthorpe and Warwick earlier this year, came second in the regional competition, edging out samples from Goondiwindi and Yelarbon in a hotly contested event.
qldwater CEO Dave Cameron said that while the Queensland competition had been running for several years, it has now grown to become a coveted national competition with the Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) introducing it in NSW, ACT, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
“The taste test is about more than just how good the water tastes: it is a way to help inform the community about how much effort goes into providing quality drinking water – an essential, sustainable service provided 24/7 by the staff of our local water utilities,” Mr Cameron said.
The taste test and regional conference formed part of the Queensland Water Directorate’s thirteenth annual Water Connections Tour, which plays a crucial part in promoting sector collaboration, links with suppliers and showing key decision-makers in government the issues our members are faced with on a daily basis.”
UPCOMING TASTE TEST EVENTS
- 9 Aug Central Queensland taste test, Bundaberg
- 5 Sept Queensland state finals, Gold Coast
- 18 Oct National Taste Test, Toowoomba