Manawatū District crowned New Zealand’s best tasting tap water

The annual competition sees water samples from around the country judged through blind tasting, with entries assessed using a professional water tasting wheel that evaluates attributes including colour, clarity, odour and taste.

The winning sample was sourced from the Stanway-Halcombe Reservoir, a 4,000m³ storage reservoir that officially opened last year. The reservoir was rebuilt following extensive damage to the raw water source and intake point caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

This achievement recognises not only the quality of Manawatū District’s drinking water, but also the resilience and dedication of the Stanway-Halcombe Rural Water Scheme community, who persevered through years of recovery work following the cyclone and throughout the reservoir’s construction.

Manawatū District Council’s Water Treatment Operators Manager, Adam Jamieson and Jake Stevens Treatment Team Lead attended the conference and accepted the award on behalf of Council.

Hamish Waugh, GM Infrastructure said the award highlights the significant investment and commitment behind delivering safe, reliable drinking water to communities across the district.

“Turning on the tap is something many of us take for granted, but there is an enormous amount of work that happens behind the scenes to ensure our drinking water remains safe, reliable and of the highest quality,”he said.

“This award is a testament to the dedication of our water services team and the investment Council has made into our water infrastructure on behalf of our communities over many years.”

Council’s water team said the recognition was especially meaningful given the challenges faced following Cyclone Gabrielle and the work required to restore and strengthen the Stanway-Halcombe water supply.

L to R: Jake Stevens, Treatment Team Leader and Adam Jamieson Operations Manager accepting the IXOM National Water Taste Test Award at the Water Industry Operations Group NZ Conference.