Canadian Neighbourhood Takes Gold for World’s Best Tap Water

A small neighbourhood in Abbotsford, B.C. has the best municipal tap water in world. Clearbrook won gold at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting in West Virginia on February 27, 2016.

Municipalities and companies competed in several categories including best tap, bottled and sparkling water. The waters were rated for attributes such as appearance, aroma, taste, mouth feel and aftertaste.

Judges tasted hundreds of waters from 18 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces and five foreign countries. Clearbrook took first among municipalities in what organizers called the “biggest water competition in the world.”
In Clearbrook, the water from the tap comes from groundwater extracted from the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer.

However, this isn’t the first gold in this competition for the municipality. Clearbrook has earned four gold medals and other honours in the past 10 years.

The top prize for best municipal water in the United States went to Eldorado Springs in Colorado, while Theoni Natural Mineral Water from Greece beat 27 entries for the best bottled water title and Tesanjski Kiseljak of Bosnia won for best sparkling water.

Other notable wins for Canada came Prairie Crystal Pure Spring Water and Touch Sparkling Mineral Water (both are bottle and sourced in Marchand, M.B.). The former came second in bottled water and the latter placed second for best sparkling water.

“It was another wonderful year for the longest running and largest water tasting in the world,” said Berkeley Springs’ perennial water master, Arthur von Wiesenberger, in a news release. “Berkeley Springs is the Academy Awards of water.”

A full list of all the winners:

Best Municipal Water 2016
1st place in Clearbrook, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada (best in the world);
1st place in U.S. – Eldorado Springs, Colorado (best in U.S.);
2nd place in Marysville, Victoria, Australia;
3rd place in Independence, MO;
4th place in Santa Ana, CA;
5th place in Mission Springs Water District, Desert Hot Springs, CA.

Best Bottled Water 2016
1st place won by Theoni Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece;
2nd place won by Prairie Crystal Pure Spring Water, Marchand, MB, Canada;
3rd place won by Eau De Source 83 ppm, Village Blanchard, NB, Canada;
4th place won by Davia Organic Maple Sap Water, Saint-Quentin, NB, Canada;
5th place won by Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand.

Best Sparkling 2016
1st place won by Tesanjski Kiseljak, Tesanj, Bosnia;
2nd place won by Touch Sparkling Mineral Water, Marchand, MB, Canada;
3rd place won by Celvick Dobri Kiseljak, Tesanj, Bosnia;
Three-way tie for 4th place – Oro Luxury Water, Vizianius, Macedonia;
Nakd Luxury Sparkling Water, Putaruru, New Zealand;
Deluge Sparkling Natural Spring Water, Oro-Medonte, ON, Canada.

Best Purified Drinking Water 2016
1st place won by Bar H2O, Richmond, MI;
2nd place won by Divinia, Idaho Falls, ID;
3rd place won by Hamilton, On Tap, Hamilton, OH;
4th place won by Mountain Drop, Linthicum, MD bottling famous Berkeley Springs water;
5th place won by Berkeley Springs Purified Water, Berkeley Springs, WV;

Best Packaging 2016
1st place won by Nakd Luxury Artesian Water, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand;
2nd place won by Antipodes, Whakatane, New Zealand;
3rd place won by Jackson Springs Natural Premium Spring Water, Middlebro, MB, Canada.