Orica Victorian Water Taste Test

Congratulations to Coliban Water for winning the inaugural taste test

Orica Victorian Water Taste Test - Brochure 25/7/2012

Check out some of our photos of the Orica Taste Test

The inaugural award for the Best Tasting Water in Victoria was judged and presented as part of the Water Industry Operators Association’s (WIOA) 75th Annual Conference held in Bendigo on 5 & 6 September 2012.

Four finalist were chosen using a Masterchef style tasting on Tuesday evening by delegates at the welcome reception. The four finalists were Gippsland Water, East Gippsland Water, Coliban Water and Yarra Valley Water.

The grand final was conducted over Thursday lunch and judged by a panel of four nominated by WIOA that comprising technical water experts and industry connoisseurs and Bec from the 3BO Breakfast show. The judges votes were locked away until the Thursday evening Awards dinner where Coliban Water was announced as the inaugural winner of this award.

Coliban Water Managing Director Jeff Rigby said the corporation was proud to receive the award. “This award is a great achievement for the business and our contractors, who play an important role in treating and delivering high quality water to our customers."

“Bendigo has world class drinking water facilities and it’s great to have the quality of Bendigo tap water recognised,” Mr Rigby said.

WIOA Chief Operations Manager Craig Mathisen said the Victorian Taste Test Award was about raising awareness of the quality of the state’s drinking water.

“We saw the award as a fun and exciting way to raise awareness of the quality of our state’s drinking water and recognise the efforts of local water service providers and their operators in delivering valuable water services to their communities. This year the water supplied from Bendigo’s Water Treatment Plant came out on top. It’s a great achievement for Coliban Water,” Mr Mathisen said.

For further information on water quality visit Coliban Water’s website and click on link to Water and Wastewater.

About the Orica Victorian Taste Test

Eligibility

1. All water businesses in Victoria are invited to participate in the Orica Victorian Water Taste Test.
2. Each water business is asked to nominate one preferred sample for inclusion in the competition.
3. Where businesses operate multiple water supply systems, the decision regarding which water sample to enter is left up to each water business.
4. All entries must have incurred no serious state or federal drinking water violations during the past year*.

Requirements

1. Samples must be submitted by 4.00pm Tuesday 4th September in a clearly marked container with the name of the water business it represents and the location/town from where the sample is derived.
2. We require 3 litres of the sample water which must be provided in 3 x 1 litre sealable glass containers.
3. Samples need to be delivered to the conference venue.
4. Samples will be served at room temperature, to help the judges better taste, appreciate and rank each sample.

Competition Judging

Heats

1. Heats will be conducted at the WIOA Welcome Reception held on the afternoon (from 5-6.30pm) of Tuesday 4th September at the Bendigo conference venue.
2. The competition will be divided into 4 heats, with entries placed in each heat randomly drawn by WIOA staff.
3. Each heat will have a heat co-ordinator.
4. Heat judging will be undertaken by guests at the welcome reception who shall taste all samples and select their most favoured water sample by giving it one vote.
5. The sample with the most votes will be judged the heat winner and the winner will proceed to the Grand Final to be held on the main stage during the conference lunch break on Thursday afternoon.
6. In the case of a tie, the winner will be chosen by the heat co-ordinator from those that are tied.
7. The four Grand Finalists will be announced on the Tuesday evening and we would appreciate a representative from each business being available for the main judging at lunch time Thursday.

Grand Final

1. As with the heats, the origin of each sample will not be revealed. The samples will be judged by a panel nominated by WIOA comprising technical water experts and water industry connoisseurs.
2. Samples will be judged on a point scale from Good to Best.
3. Scores will be aggregated and the winner will be the sample with the highest combined score. The winning water business and water supply location will be announced at the WIOA Conference Awards Dinner on Thursday night.
4. Only the identity of the four grand finalists and the supplier of the winning sample will be announced – Grand Final or Heat samples will not be ranked, nor will any of the scores be released.
5. The decision of the judges is final.

*A “serious” water quality incident includes protracted periods of poor water quality or boiled water alerts, an event leading to immediate potential public health risks or other break-down of risk-management protocols.

For more information, please contact Craig Mathisen at WIOA on 03 5821 6744, mobile 0457 846 008 or email craig@wioa.org.au

Last updated on 14-Sep-2012