THE New South Wales Blues' win was particularly sweet in the Manning for the crew at MidCoast Water.
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While the rest of the State celebrated the 14-6 defeat of Queensland, the Manning's water was being toasted, coming out on top of a taste test with our northern neighbours.
After winning the best tasting water in NSW title recently, samples from MidCoast Water's state-of-the-art Bootawa Water Treatment Plant were pitted against Queensland's best at a state-against-state taste test on the Gold Coast.
The taste test was held as part of the annual Queensland Water Industry Operators Association conference on the same night as the first rugby league State of Origin match.
"This competition is a great way of raising awareness of the quality of our drinking water and to recognise the efforts of the water operators who work hard to deliver valuable water services to our communities," general manager Robert Loadsman said.
The Bootawa Water Treatment Plant, which has been operational for two years, uses a membrane filtration process to ensure the highest quality water for customers.
The plant serves communities from Crowdy Head in the north to Pacific Palms in the south, and covers the major centres of Taree, Forster, Tuncurry, Wingham, Old Bar and Hallidays Point.
The competition was initiated and conducted by the Water Industry Operators of Australia an industry association with the primary role of facilitating the collection, development and exchange of quality information between people undertaking operational roles in the water industry.
Representing Queensland in the challenge, was the Burdekin Shire Council township of Ayr in Northern Queensland, the winner of the 2012 Queensland Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test.
Mr Loadsman said the utility was pleased and proud to receive the award and that it was a feather in the cap of the team at MidCoast Water who have worked hard to deliver high quality water.
He said the award was an accolade for those staff who work at the plant on a daily basis ensuring all is running smoothly.
"We only have a small team operating the facility so it is very pleasing their hard work and conscientious approach to ensuring we deliver high quality water to our customers has been recognised."
"This award is a great accolade for the hard work of our staff, and the investment we as an organisation have made in improving water quality for our customers," Mr Loadsman said.
"MidCoast Water staff project managed the construction of the water treatment plant and we are particularly proud of the way in which we, as a smaller water utility, were able to use our in-house skills to manage such a large and important project for our community."
This is a far cry from the problems the previously untreated water supply provided MidCoast Water, particularly over the summer period when taste and odour concerns were common from customers.
"To be able to provide our community with good quality drinking water is the culmination of many years of work and planning for MidCoast Water," Mr Loadsman explained.
"When we were formed back in 1997 we inherited one of the largest unfiltered regional water supplies in the country and have been working since that time to provide our community with a solution."
That solution is a state-of-the-art plant located next to Bootawa Dam that uses a microfiltration process to filter water drawn into the dam from the Manning River, before it makes its way into the reticulation system.
During the filtration process, water is drawn through fine polymer membranes which remove fine particles and provide a physical barrier to achieve reliable removal of harmful microorganisms without the need for chemicals.
Carbon filters then remove any residual odour or taste in the water. Mr Loadsman said the improvement in water quality has been reflected in the dramatic reduction in customer concerns, with dirty water calls for the whole of the service area (which includes treatment plants in Gloucester, Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah and Stroud) falling to less than onesixth of previous rates.
Complaints relating to the smell and taste of the water have all but disappeared.
“It is great to have the quality of tap water in the Manning recognised.”