The NR Times Rural News
November 23, 2023
36 RURAL NEWS
Australian states set to battle it out for the 2023 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia title Australia’s best tasting tap water will be decided on Saturday, 18 November when the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) hosts the IXOM 2023 Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition. Water authorities in regional and metropolitan areas across Australia have competed in state competitions to find their best drop. Now those state winners have been invited to go head to head for the national title during the Lilydale & Yarra Valley Show in Lilydale, Victoria, putting interstate rivalry to the ultimate test. The state representatives competing for the 2023 Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia are: • South Australia – Olympic Dam Desal Plant – BHP • Tasmania – Fern Tree water treatment plant – TasWater • Queensland – Burgowan water treatment plant – Fraser Coast Regional Council • NSW/ACT – Rous
County Council – Nightcap • Western Australia – Water Corporation – Cue Victoria holds the 2022 title for the Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia. Last year’s national winner was Melbourne Water’s Cresswell water treatment plant, which is why the 2023 event is being held in their area. Attendees at the Lilydale & Yarra Valley Show will be asked to taste all the water samples and vote for the one they prefer most. Judging will run
between 9.00am and 1.00pm, and the winner will be announced at approximately 3.45pm. The 2023 winner will have bragging rights for the next 12 months as the provider of Australia’s best drop and will go on to represent Australia at the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in West Virginia, USA in February 2024. The annual IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competition is a fun and exciting way to
raise awareness of the quality of drinking water in Australia, and to recognise the efforts of local water service providers in delivering valuable water services to their communities. Water samples are subjected to a blind taste test and rated according to the Water Tasting Wheel, which outlines some of the attributes that water professionals use when judging water such as colour, clarity, odour and taste. Think ‘wine tasting’ without needing to spit out the
samples and you won’t be far wrong. In its search for the best tasting tap water in each state and nationally, WIOA invites all water suppliers to participate in the competition. “The competition recognises and acknowledges the individuals and organisations that are stepping up, some in very trying circumstances, to make sure their communities are supplied with safe drinking water every day,” said Dean Barnett,
Chief Executive Officer, WIOA. “We want to use the competition to let people know the great work that is going on in local communities around Australia, and help to shape and secure Australia’s water future.” Mr Barnett also acknowledged IXOM’s support of the Best Tasting Tap Water competition. “Thanks to IXOM’s unwavering commitment and support of the industry, we have been able to continue running the competition.” “IXOM is proud to be the sponsor of the prestigious 2023 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water competition,” said Bryce Wolfe, IXOM Managing Director & CEO. “IXOM has been involved in water treatment for almost a century. We supply chemicals to water treatment plants all over Australia to help ensure that Australia continues to have world-class, high-quality water.”
Algae’s next for trade success The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has approved the addition of algae production to the National Standard for Organic and BioDynamic Produce. The addition of algae in the standard will allow Australian organic algae producers to
compete in the global market. Deputy Secretary of Agricultural Trade, Nicola Hinder PSM said it is exciting to see this amendment to the national standard coming to fruition. “There is a significant shift in some consumer preferences towards
organic products seeing sales in organic products grow worldwide,” Ms Hinder said. “The national standard is Australia’s technical export standard for organic and bio-dynamic goods. “As the main focus in equivalence arrangements with our
international trading partners, it is vital we ensure all sectors are represented to ensure ongoing trade opportunities for organics goods across all sectors of agriculture.” The application for the amendment was approved following a public comment
period and review by the National Standards Advisory Committee. An Industry Advice Notice on the amendment’s introduction will be issued by the department. The physical release of an updated national standard will occur in
early 2024. The department resumed direct management of the national standard in January 2022 and has since released Edition 3.8 which includes organic wine production, the first major update to the National standard since 2017.
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