Across a state with snow-capped peaks and crystal-clear mountain creeks, a lot of Colorado cities take pride in their drinking water. But only one can be crowned as the state’s best-tasting.
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According to a panel of judges at the Rocky Mountain Water Conference in Keystone, the City of Broomfield has Colorado’s tastiest water. Second place went to the Copper Mountain Consolidated Metropolitan District, and Pueblo took home third.
Water might seem totally tasteless, but judges detected differences between each of the eight water samples they sipped. That six-person panel, which included this reporter, was presented with a chart of different tastes they might notice – earthy, sweet, fishy, chlorinous – and a handful of other terms you might associate more with a wine tasting.
In the end, the highest scoring waters tended to be the ones that lacked a distinct taste. Kat Leitzmann, director of strategic communications at Water For People, served as one of the judges.
“It’s something that makes you feel refreshed and isn’t distracting,” she said.
Leitzmann gave high marks to Broomfield’s water.
“I found it very light, very smooth, a nice feel when I drank it,” she said. “And I did not notice any odor or aftertaste.”
Broomfield officials chalked up their winning effort to the hard work of the people who work at their water treatment plant.
“I think it goes to the professionalism of our team,” said Ken Rutt, Broomfield’s director of public works. “They really pay close attention, and little things make big differences.”
Rutt also gave some credit to the city’s “goose lasers,” a high tech system that keeps waterfowl away from the surface of a drinking water reservoir. He said it brought the number of geese on the reservoir down from 2000 to about five.
Broomfield took third in last year’s competition. The winner of the contest often changes year-to-year. 2024’s champion was Denver, which didn’t even place this year.
Now, Broomfield will take its water to the national competition — the American Water Works Association conference in Washington, D.C. next year.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of water in the West, produced by KUNC in Colorado and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. KUNC is solely responsible for its editorial coverage.
