WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 18, 2016 – With a cheer of celebration, officials from the Glenbrook Water Cooperative in Glenbrook, Nev. walked to the stage to accept the Gold Medal Award at the Great American Water Taste Test. Glenbrook was selected by a panel of judges at the GAWTT finals at noon on Feb. 10 in Washington D.C.
The Consolidated Rural Water and Sewer District #1 of Jefferson County from Hastings, Okla. won the Silver Award, with the City of Emporia, Kan. earning Bronze. The Northwest Dyersburg Utility District in Dyersburg, Tenn. and the City of Scottsbluff, Neb. completed the top five. A panel of preliminary judges selected the five finalists from entries submitted from across the nation. Only utilities that had won their state drinking water taste test were eligible to submit samples for the national competition.
Rural Utility Service Administrator, Brandon McBride, Assistant Administrator for Water and Environmental Programs, Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, RUS Senior Advisor Titilayo Ogunyale, Director for Rural Development’s Water Programs Division, Kent Evans, and USDA Engineering and Environmental Staff Director, Kelli Kubena served as the final judges.
Judges rated each water sample based on its clarity, bouquet and taste.
