The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has taken the second place prize for best drinking water in the United States. Third place went to another California contestant, the Mission Springs Water District, which serves residents of Desert Hot Springs. A water supplier in Montpelier, Ohio took the top prize.
All three have previously won gold medals at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in West Virginia. This was the 32nd annual contest.
“The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” water expert Arthur von Wiesenberger said in a statement. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.”
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California consists of 26 member agencies that provide water for 19 million people across six Southern California counties. Its placement dropped from last year when it took home the top prize for best drinking water.