Brewer judged to have best-tasting disinfected water

Brewer residents enjoy Maine's best-tasting water. The Brewer Water Department  was judged to have Maine's best-tasting water at the Maine Rural Water Association's 17th annual Drinking Water Taste Test held at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport last month.

Brewer captured top honors in the "disinfected division," or water with chlorine. Bingham Water District also received high honors. Bingham captured the "nondisinfected division" crown and went on to win a taste-off between the two top winners.

Bingham's water will be entered in the Great American Water Taste Test next spring at the National Rural Water Association's Rural Water Rally in Washington, D.C.

Water from 22 communities was judged on taste, clarity and aroma. Judges for the taste test included Jane Downing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's Region 1 associate director of drinking water; Maine Public Health lab director Jack Krueger; and Ronald Lambert Jr., the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's rural development community programs Director.

Each water sample was placed in an unmarked glass jar before judging.

The Maine Rural Water Association is a private, nonprofit organization that represents water and wastewater systems through training, technical assistance and advocacy. The association's goal is to provide safe drinking water and protect the environment at an affordable cost to users.

Part of a copyright story from the Bangor Daily News by Nok-Noi Hauger, Of the NEWS Staff: Friday, December 12, 2003.