Carnation has best-tasting water in King County

Published 4:39 pm Thursday, March 26, 2015

The city of Carnation walked away with top honors at the fourth annual best-tasting water competition March 11.

The event was hosted by the King County subsection of the Pacific Northwest section of the American Water Works Association.

New to the competition this year, Carnation beat three-time champion and previously ranked second-best water in the nation, Sammamish Sewer and Water District.

Kyle Kihs, executive director of the PNWS-AWWA; Steve Hulsman, Washington Department of Health Public health advisor for the Chemical Water Quality Monitoring Program; and Dave Griner, brewer and marketing manager for Mac & Jack’s Brewery; were the tasters, judging samples of water from each contestant’s distribution system. Each sample was evaluated on the basis of odor, taste and after-taste. A total of 10 cities and special purpose districts in King County participated in the event.

“The residents of Carnation can drink proudly, knowing that the public works staff is providing drinking water that is reliable, safe and now judged the best-tasting in King County,” said Carnation utility clerk Becky Buelna, who carried Carnation’s water to the judges for tasting.

As the 2015 winner, the city of Carnation will go on to represent the subsection at the PNWS-AWWA annual spring conference in Bellevue in April, with the opportunity to represent the PNWS at the national conference in Anaheim, Calif. in June.