Community Corner
It's West Hempstead vs. Suffolk in Water Tasting Contest
West Hempstead Water District faces off with Suffolk County Water Authority for the top honor.
Story written by Joe Dowd
You may not have known this, but it's National Drinking Water Week.
So naturally, a competition is underway to determine which water supplier is the best tasting on Long island.
The blind taste-tests were conducted this week at Farmingdale State College to determine a winner. This heated battle will be decided Friday when the West Hempstead Water District faces off with the Suffolk County Water Authority for the top honor.
The winner goes home crowned champ of the Long Island Water Conference’s 28th annual Best Tasting Water Contest.
In fact, the taste-off is part of a larger conference on water quality and ground-water issues facing Long Island. That conference takes place beginning at 8 a.m. Friday at Carlyle on the Green in Bethpage State Park.
“I am pleased to congratulate The West Hempstead Water District on their success in this year’s Best Tasting Water Contest,” said Long Island Water Conference Chairman Michael Boufis. “The contest is a great way to get residents involved and to celebrate National Drinking Water Week.”
On Thursday, contest organizers invited Long Islanders to Farmingdale State where they were asked to participate in a blind taste test of tap water from suppliers around Nassau County. Long Islanders selected the West Hempstead Water District as having the best tasting water in Nassau County.
On Wednesday, the test involved Suffolk County water suppliers. The winner turned out to be the Suffolk County Water Authority, organizers said.
The final taste-test will take place at the first-ever, co-sponsored groundwater symposium hosted by the Suffolk County Water Authority and the Long Island Water Conference on Friday at Carlyle On The Green in Bethpage State Park.
The Long Island Water Conference comprises more than 50 public water suppliers serving more than 3 million people in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Its members maintain more than 1,000 supply wells, 10,800 miles of water mains and nearly 79,000 fire hydrants across the Island.
The public is invited to attend Friday's conference. If interested, contact Paige at 516.829.8374 or pweiners@zimmed.com.
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