RELATED: Chance to taste test tap water
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Out of eight unlabelled jugs of water, East Bendigo resident Lloyd Davies knows the taste of Bendigo tap.
He said he was used to the taste of one of the samples, which happened to be from Bendigo.
“Trentham potentially could have been the best,” Mr Davies said.
He was among those to approach to Coliban Water’s taste test stand at Lake Weeroona on Friday.
The organisation manages 19 water treatment plants, which source water from nine supply systems.
Peter Prevos, of Coliban Water, said the eight samples were chosen to give people a taste of different water sources.
Their selection was also influenced by performance in previous taste tests, involving the organisation’s staff – some had been rated favourably, others less so.
Participants were asked to rate the samples on their taste, smell and appearance.
The source of the water in each jug was revealed to participants after they had completed the test.
Water quality performance and regulation general manager David Sheehan customers had an important role to play in the management of water quality.
“The water we provide meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines but the taste, for example, can vary slightly across our region,” he said.
He said the taste test was an opportunity for customers to get involved and share their opinions.
Mr Davies said all of the samples tasted alright to him, and they all looked clear, but there were slight differences.
“If I was thirsty I wouldn’t knock it back,” he said of several samples.
Like any other personal taste, Mr Prevos said people’s water preferences were subjective.
He said people who were used to drinking tank water, for example, were more sensitive to the taste of chlorine than those who were used to drinking tap water.
The taste test results will be included in Coliban Water’s 2018 pricing submission, which will be used to set service standards and customer pricing.
The next pricing plan is effective from July 1, 2018.