Tim Collins/Victoria B次元官网网址

As the judges took their places, and sparkling glasses were placed before them, Carlie Hucul, CEO of the BC Water and Waste Association opened the fourth annual tap-water taste test at the Victoria Conference Centre on Tuesday.

Part of the associationsB次元官网网址� annual conference, the event attracted more than 1,200 water professionals from across B.C. and the Yukon and served as a venue to expose a few myths about what flows from our taps.

The challenge pitted nine municipal water systems against one another to determine the B次元官网网址渂est of the bestB次元官网网址� where drinking water is concerned and, although the mood was light, the judging was deadly serious.

The three judges used crackers and distilled water to cleanse their palette with the intensity of the most distinguished sommeliers, before sampling water from each of the municipalities. They then scored each water sample on five criteria: aroma, taste, mouth-feel, aftertaste and overall impression.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a sort of strange competition where the best taste is no taste at all,B次元官网网址� joked Robert Haller, executive director of Canadian Water and Wastewater and one of the eventB次元官网网址檚 judges, adding that all of the water samples were of extraordinary quality.

B次元官网网址淭he truth is we can have full confidence in municipal water supplies. We get up in the middle of the night and drink from the tap without even turning on the light, and well we should,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat water is subjected to around the clock testing, seven days a week, which is more than you can say about bottled water that doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the same level of testing, often sits on shelves for extended periods, and is frequently filled from municipal sources in the first place.B次元官网网址�

The taste test was an opportunity for event organizers to offer a series of observations on the low cost of municipal water and highlight a few facts to explode some common misconceptions about the municipal water supplies.

For example, said Hucul, a recent survey of BC residents showed that less than one-third of people actually know the origin of their tap water and, on average, people believe the cost of tap water to be three times what they actually pay.

Mathew McCrank, senior manager of infrastructure operations for the Capital Region District, acknowledged it can be a bit frustrating to see people purchase bottled water, but said he knows itB次元官网网址檚 a personal choice, even if itB次元官网网址檚 one he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 recommend.

B次元官网网址淲e try to educate people about the high quality of our water,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd of course, we have the added concern at the CRD for the waste involved in relation to all those plastic bottles that, too often, still find their way to the landfill, despite some very good re-cycling initiatives.B次元官网网址�

Hucul and Haller both feel the tide may be turning, as younger generations, increasingly concerned about the environment, are opting to fill their personal water bottles from fill stations that are becoming a common addition to water fountains everywhere.

In case youB次元官网网址檙e wondering, this yearB次元官网网址檚 winner of the best municipal water amongst 10 entries from around B.C. was the Vancouver Island Village of Zeballos.

editor@vicnews.com

Bottled vs. tap water: some fast facts

B次元官网网址� Tap water in Victoria is subjected to constant testing and is of extremely high quality.

B次元官网网址� No government body is in charge of testing bottled water. ItB次元官网网址檚 classified as a food and subject to the Food and Drugs Act. Processing plants are inspected annually by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and additional testing is voluntary.

B次元官网网址� The total annual cost in the CRD of drinking eight glasses of water a day from the tap is 75 cents. The same amount of bottled water is about $1,400.

B次元官网网址� Canadians still purchase about 2.4 billion litres of bottled water a year (Euromonitor International, 2014)

B次元官网网址� In Canada, three out of 10 households drink bottled water at home (Stats Canada).

B次元官网网址� Bottled water does not necessarily come from pristine springs or snowy glaciers. The source is as likely to be the same tap water available in your kitchen. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency).