March 2006
News Release
For Immediate Release

Rice Lake (Wisconsin) takes 5th in Competition for ‘Best Municipal Drinking Water’ in the World!

Rice Lake, Wisconsin brought home a fifth place for "The "Best-Tasting Municipal Drinking Water" -- in world competitions held at the 16th annual International Water Tasting in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, last month.

To give an idea of the competition, Berkeley Springs boasts the largest and longest running water tasting competition in the world.

For the category in which Rice Lake won the bronze – Best in the world Municipal Water – this year's winner was from Montpelier, Ohio; Silver Medal winner was Kent, Ohio; and the Bronze winner was Sparwood, B.C., Canada. In fourth place was Howell, Michigan. And Rice Lake, Wisconsin boasts fifth place in the world Municipal Water competition.

Other water-tasting competitions at the Festival included: Best Bottled Water in the World (this year's winner: Great Clacier, Oxford, Wisconsin); Best Purified Drinking Water (this year's winner: Claire Baie, Oak Creek, Wisconsin); Best Carbonated Bottled Water (the gold went to Gold Medal: Antipodes, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand); and Best Package Design (winner: Gold Medal: Waiwera Infinity Artesian Water, New Zealand).

In 2003, Rice Lake was chosen as having the best municipal drinking water in Wisconsin, at the annual Water Quality Competition in Madison.

 

More than 300 people attended the Berkeley Springs event. According to a Festival news release, there are five different characteristics used to evaluate water. They are appearance, odor (or lack of it), flavor, mouth feel and aftertaste.

For more information about Rice Lake, contact the Rice Lake Tourism Commission, 37 South Main St., Rice Lake, Wis. 54868;
Phone: 800-523-6318;
FAX: 715-234-2085;
e-mail: info@ricelaketourism.com;
web: www.ricelaketourism.com