In March, the City of Ridgefield entered its drinking water in a “Best Tasting Water” contest hosted by the Lower Columbia subsection of the American Water Works Association (AWWA)—and brought home first place!
Ridgefield beat out six other local agencies to earn the title of “Best Tasting Water” and now qualifies for the regional competition at the AWWA Pacific Northwest Section Conference this May. This was Ridgefield’s first time participating in the contest, where 3 judges blind taste water samples from each participating agency. A win at regionals could send Ridgefield’s water all the way to the national competition!
“I’m proud of the high-quality water we provide to our community and the effort our team puts in every day to make that possible,” said Interim Water Supervisor Steve Sampson. “We’ve always believed our water was exceptional, but it was great to see that confirmed in a friendly competition.”
Ridgefield’s drinking water comes from wells that draw from the Troutdale Aquifer, located 130–170 feet below the ground surface. An aquifer is an underground layer of unconsolidated rock or sand that holds and moves water.
To learn more about the quality of Ridgefield’s water, check out the most recent Water Quality Report, published annually by July 1.
The AWWA local and regional conferences include competitions like Best Tasting Water, Meter Madness, and Hydrant Hysteria—along with valuable training and networking opportunities to help water professionals stay up to date on best practices.