FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE05-34
August
4, 2005
Contact:
Natalie Millner
(718) 595-6600
New
York City Places First (and Second) in Annual Water Test Contest
New York City ’s water supply system took first (and second)
place as best tasting water in an informal water tasting contest
among five New York State regional winners.
The contest is a fun and nonscientific annual event that encourages
visitors from all over the world to the Museum of Natural History
to taste a small amount of water from five pitchers set up on a
table, the choices are labeled A through E. Contestants are asked
to mark their first and second choices on a paper ballot. After
100 or more ballots are collected, an official from the American
Water Works Association (AWWA) counts the ballots and makes the
award. A count of the ballots awarded first place to New Rochelle
and second place to New York City.
New York City provides water to New Rochelle consumers from the
same source as New York City’s water supply system. United
Water of New Rochelle, a private company, purchases its water from
the New York City water supply system and treats and monitors it
for their customers in Westchester County. New York City will now
be invited to participate in the statewide water taste contest
to be held at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, New York at
the end of August.
Today’s 19th annual contest took place on the front steps
of the Museum. Sponsored by the New York Chapter of the AWWA, contestants
included this year’s winners from other downstate counties:
Carle Place (Nassau County), Dix Hills, (Suffolk County,) The Town
of Hurley (Ulster County), New Rochelle (Westchester County) and
New York City.
New York City provides an average of 1.2 billion gallons of drinking
water daily for 8 million customers throughout the five boroughs
and another 1 million consumers in upstate counties including Westchester
County.