Rochester Wins Title of Best Tasting Water in New York State

Fort Plain Takes Second Place in 27^th Annual Competition

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 30, 2013) – The New York State Department of Health (DOH) today announced that the City of Rochester has claimed the top spot in the New York State Drinking Water Taste Test. The Village of Fort Plain was the runner-up.

The results were announced at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, where the final round was held. Approximately 250 fairgoers selected the winner from ten water systems that had won regional contests.

The 27th annual contest was sponsored by DOH under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement with the Department's Environmental Health Specialist Water Program.

"It is essential for all New Yorkers to have access to clean and healthy water," said State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H. "This friendly competition highlights the efforts of communities and their partners who go above and beyond to deliver safe, great tasting water to the taps of millions of homes and businesses throughout the state. Congratulations to Rochester and Fort Plain and all of this year's competitors."

The City of Rochester's 210,000 residents consume an average of 21.1 million gallons of water per day, produced by its Hemlock Filtration Plant. The source of this water comes from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes.

The New York State Drinking Water Taste Test is a non-scientific competition intended to highlight the importance of taste and quality in drinking water, a vital public health resource. Tap water that tastes great encourages New Yorkers to choose a drink that is healthy, affordable, convenient, and environmentally friendly. DOH has regulatory oversight of all public drinking water systems in New York State.

The ten finalists competing in the championship round were: Village of Arcade (Wyoming County), Village of Barneveld (Oneida County), Bolton Point Water System (Tompkins), Town of Conklin (Broome County), Village of Fort Plain (Montgomery County), Town of Guilderland (Albany County), Village of Hoosick Falls (Rensselaer County), Village of Mount Vernon (Westchester County), New York City, and Rochester (Monroe County).