Pasco city water takes second place in regional blind taste test

Do you live in Pasco and buy bottled water?

A group of blind taste testers says you should drink from the tap.

The city’s water placed second out of seven areas entered in a regional contest for the American Water Works Association.

While the Nob Hill Water Association in west Yakima took first place, Pasco officials are proud that their dedication to high-quality water is being recognized.

Plus, they beat their Tri-City competitors.

“We work to make it healthy and aesthetically pleasing,” Bill Maxwell, a Pasco water treatment plant operator, told the Herald. “It’s always great to hear when we do well.”

On top of that, Pasco learned Wednesday it was being recognized by the state Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water for the Butterfield Water Treatment Plant meeting all “optimization program criteria for the last 15 years.”

The award will be presented to city officials in April.

The taste test contest was March 7 in Kennewick with three local TV personalities serving as judges. Samples were given in clear wine glasses.

Maxwell said the judges were instructed to carefully eyeball each sample. So while taste was key, they also were assessing clarity and smell. “There’s probably a little bit of personal taste involved,” Maxwell acknowledged.

Pasco flouridates its city water, a controversial decision that was approved more than 17 years ago.

Maxwell also noted that some drinkers may taste chlorine residual. It mostly is added for health reasons, to keep the pipes clean.

“We try very hard not to over-chlorinate. We optimize it by putting in just enough (chlorine) after all the treatment, then send it out the door,” he said. “So by the time the water gets to the end of the system, there’s still a trace of chlorine in there just to fight bacteria.”

Pasco’s contest sample, drawn from the Butterfield plant near the cable bridge, scored a total of 77 points — one point below the winner.

Richland got 70 points and Kennewick was in a last-place tie with Ellensburg at 59 points. Yakima and Wenatchee were the other two participating water systems.

The winner moves on to the next round at the Pacific Northwest Section’s conference in Boise in May. From there, the best water will compete to be named national champion at the American Water Works Association’s conference in Chicago.

Pasco also placed second in the 2015 regional competition, but that time came in behind Yakima.

Maxwell said it is a team effort to produce the best water possible in Pasco, and he shouldn’t receive all of the credit for helping the city get into the runner-up spot. He is joined by chief water plant operator Fred Vanecek, operators Joe West and Mike Stephens, and plant utility worker Jeff Albin.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Pasco city water takes second place in regional blind taste test."