U.S. town judged to have tastiest tap water; Bosnia wins for sparkling

Published: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 | 1:44 PM ET
Canadian Press
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) - For the third time in four years, the town of Montpelier, Ohio, can claim bragging rights to the world's tastiest tap water. Three British Columbia communities are not far behind.

Bosnian waters also performed well, winning four of the five top spots for sparkling water. More than 100 waters from 23 U.S. states and 11 countries were judged in various categories at the tasting competition.

Montpelier won the Best Municipal Water category, repeating 2003 and 2006 victories at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.

Only one other community, Atlantic City, N.J., has had back-to-back victories in the same category, claiming gold in 1993 and 1994.

Second, third and fourth places for tastiest tap water this year went to three towns in British Columbia - Clearbrook, Elkford and Campbell River, respectively.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, a former gold medal winner, came in fifth among 32 waters from 13 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, event producer Jill Klein Rone said Tuesday.

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"Good water rises to the top," said Klein Rone, who oversaw the two-day weekend competition.

Other first-through fifth-place winners were:

Best Bottled: I Am Healthy, Mount Palomar, Calif., and Muskoka Natural Spring Water, Gravenhurst, Ont. (tie); John Deere Artisan Water of Grayling, Mich., and Ramona Springs, Washago, Ont. (tie); ESKA from St-Mathiew d'Harricana, Que.; Aquaroyale, Baguio City, Philippines, and Woolrich Spring Water, Woolrich, Pa.

Best Sparkling: Sparkling StoneClear Springs, Vanleer, Tenn.; Esparanza, Tesanj, Bosnia; Tesanjski Dijamant, Tesanj, Bosnia; Hana Sparkling, Tesanj, Bosnia, and Tesanjski Kiseljak, Tesanj, Bosnia.

Best Purified: Coral Water, Rost Labs, Fla.; Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water, Huntsville, Ala.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Chill, Mechanicsville, Va., and Stone Clear Premium, Vanleer, Tenn..

Best Packaging: Aquadeco, Mount Ararat, Armenia; Dabau Luxury Water, New York; StoneClear Springs Natural Spring Water, Vanleer, Tenn.; Waiwera Infinity Artesian Water, Waiwera, New Zealand, and Aquarius Oxygen Water, Eugene, Ore.