Livingstone Water is Queensland's top drop after taking out the 2020 Taste Test Winner!

Water from a pristine dunal water system at Waterpark Creek and treated at Livingstone Shire Council’s Woodbury Water Treatment Plant has been selected Queensland’s top drop at the 2020 Sigura Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test.
On Thursday 10 September 2020, the best tap water from across Queensland went head to head in a blind taste-off as part of the 2020 Sigura Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test.

Usually hosted in conjunction with the Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) Annual Forum, the 2020 COVID19-version of the taste test included a fun and interactive online trivia session with members dialling in from all across the state as a panel of judges made their way through the samples, interrogating the ten entries received from around Queensland by colour, odour and taste. 

Livingstone water has always performed well and it has the beer to prove it… after winning the competition in 2017 Livingstone Shire Council immortalised its winning water in a very tasty limited-edition craft beer – Livingstone Lager with a tropical twist of Pineapple.

Portfolio holder for Water, Waste Management and the Environment, Councillor Andrea Friend, said this was a fantastic outcome for the Shire and a testament to the dedication, passion, and hard work of the water treatment plant team at Livingstone Shire Council.

“Council is thrilled to be named Queensland winner a second time since the awards were established and is extremely proud and committed to providing the Livingstone Shire community with clean, potable, high quality water,” Cr Friend said. 

 
“I would like to commend the dedicated and professional Council team which operates the Woodbury Treatment Plant. The team is constantly striving to maintain the highest quality water for our residents and best practice treatment techniques and continue to achieve fantastic outcomes for our community.”

This is the 9th time a qldwater state-wide taste test has been conducted with the first major competition held back in 2012.  It has since grown to become a coveted international competition with the Water Industry Operators Association (WIOA) introducing it in NSW, ACT, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand. It also includes the annual Water of Origin, where the winning samples from Queensland and NSW battle it out at the WIOA QLD Conference each year.

Coming in at a close second place, reigning champions Mackay Regional Council was knocked off its perch after a string of wins including the Queensland Water Taste Test in 2018 and 2019, the 5th national Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water and then winning silver at the 2020 International Water Tasting Competition in Berkeley Springs, USA. 

Toowoomba Regional Council also made it to Berkeley Springs in 2018, first taking out the 2016 Queensland title, then the 2017 Water of Origin against NSW before finally claiming the Ixom Best Tap Water in Australia competition in 2017 and representing Australia at the world event. 

Despite Australia having yet to win the grand prize, an Aussie water has now won second place for the third time - with Wannon Water and its tap water from Hamilton Water Treatment Plant in Victoria finishing second in 2019 and Marysville Water from Victoria placing second in 2016.

“The taste test is about more than just how good the water tastes: it is a way to help inform the community about how much effort goes into providing quality drinking water – an essential, sustainable service provided 24/7 by the staff of our local water utilities,” qldwater CEO Mr Dave Cameron said.

Entries to date include a number of past champions with samples from a range of water sources including a pristine dunal system, dams and rivers as well as ancient water from the Great Artesian Basin.