* Inscribed on the trophy is:

 

CALIFORNIA RAND WATER

ASSOCIATION – 2017 Best Tasting Water

Rand Communities Water District

 

 

By Michael Smit
Staff Writer

Posted Jun 27, 2017 at 9:54 AM

Best tasting water in California goes to Rand Communities Water District

The California Rural Water Association named the Rand Communities Water District as having the Best Tasting Water in California at CRWA’s 2017 Expo held in South Lake Tahoe from April 24 to April 27.

 

CRWA is an organization that provides training, technical assistance, and resources to help water and wastewater management agencies. They hold a yearly expo to share information and to give their award of Best Tasting Water in California.

 

According to CRWA’s website, a panel of Water Taste Test Judges decided the winner after sampling water from the various attending districts. The judges were Wilmer Melton of Natural Rural Water Association, Matt Howard of Mojave Water Agency, Mark Ellis of Bakersfield Core Labs, Tom Ballard of Hydrogeological Associates, and Chuck Houser of Stearns, Conrad, and Schmidt Engineers.

 

“The judges said it was the clear winner,” Mike Powell proudly told the Daily Independent. Powell is the general manager of the RCWD. “They said it was much better than the next one.”

 

Powell explained that this is the first time RCWD won the award, but it’s also the first time they’ve entered into the competition. He said that he’s always believed RCWD provides great tasting water, but he usually doesn’t

have time to make it out to the expo. He finally got the time, and his water district took the top prize.

 

“It validates my feeling that we get good water here,” he said.

 

RCWD’s water tastes great because it’s highly mineralized, according to Powell. They pump from the Fremont Valley Groundwater Basin. He said pumping groundwater often produces highly mineralized water, much like the groundwater provided by the IWV Water District.

 

He said that many other water districts have to first purify their water, then reapply minerals to achieve that fresh mineral water taste. Even then, there’s often a subtle hint of the purifying chemicals. RCWD’s water, however, is naturally mineralized.

 

“It’s not the best for coolers or for doing laundry, but it sure tastes great,” he said. He explained that the high mineralization levels show. When the water evaporates, it leaves a mineral residue. This density means RCWD customers may have to add a bit more detergent to their laundry, but they don’t seem to mind.

 

“Old timers around here get mad when people buy bottled water,” he laughed.

 

RCWD provides water to the communities of Johannesburg and Randsburg in Kern County, as well as Red Mountain in San Bernardino County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRWA Executive Director Dan DeMoss (left) presents Mike Powell of Rand CWD with the award for Best Tasting Water in California at the CRWA 2017 Expo in April – courtesy photo