Water from the Rossarden Water Treatment Plant, in Tasmania’s Northern Midlands, has won the Best Municipal Water for 2021 at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event in West Virginia, United States of America (USA).
The global event judged water from five continents, 14 countries and 19 USA states.
Significantly, this is the first time water from Australia has won the prestigious award, which is a major coup for the nation and the state.
TasWater Acting Chief Executive Officer, Juliet Mercer said the international award was a testament to the hard work that had gone into the organisation’s 24glasses Regional Towns Water Supply Program.
“Just over three years ago, Rossarden was under a Do Not Consume notice.
“A safe, clean and reliable water supply underpins the health and wellbeing of our communities, which was the driving motivation behind the 24glasses program.
“The program saw public health alerts removed from 29 Tasmanian towns and drinking water systems through the installation of 17 new water treatment plants, 16 reservoirs and more than 70 kilometres of new trunk mains.
“Seeing a town where so recently you could not even drink the water, now recognised as having the best drinking water in the world is an incredible result and is a great source of pride to TasWater.”
TasWater is owned by the 29 Tasmanian councils and runs the Rossarden Water Treatment Plant in partnership with water utility services provider TRILITY, which built and designed the facility as part of TasWater’s 24glasses Regional Towns Water Supply Program Work Package One in 2018.
Tasmanian Minister for Finance, Michael Ferguson, said, “Without investment in water infrastructure, the Rossarden area would still be facing a ‘Do Not Consume’ notice.
“The State Government’s $200 million much needed capital injected into TasWater will accelerate its capital works program allowing more Tasmanian households to benefit from modernised infrastructure over the next decade, just like the residents of Rossarden have.”
