Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Fly to Timaru and taste the country's top water - that's the invitation from the city's mayor Nigel Bowen after its latest success.
Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition.
It's the third time the city has won the contest in the last six years.
The samples were drawn from a scheme that is one of 13 the city runs and its location next to the Timaru airport prompted Bowen to invite people from around the country to come and sample it.
Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the four finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste.
He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies.
Bowen said he was very proud as it was an exciting success for the city.
"I think it puts a lot of focus on what a cool thing it is for local government as far as what we need to provide and invest in for the country."
Judges said the water didn't taste too much of chlorine and had some earthy tones.
Bowen said the samples were taken from the small Seadown Water Scheme which covers about 500 hectares covering 450 households and close to the airport.
"So if you fly into Timaru you can taste the best water in the country on arrival. But it is really good water."
The source was a shallow well next to the Opihi River.
"So really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment. It's a little bit of chlorine and ultra-violet so it does speak to the quality of the source water and also the great job that our team in water do."
The city had won the competition three times and each time had used a different scheme for its entry so it was testimony to the work of the city's water engineers, Bowen said.
Timaru will represent New Zealand at the trans-Tasman water taste-off in Australia in July.
Asked if the city could win "the Bledisloe Cup" for water supremacy, Bowen assured Morning Report host Paddy Gower the city would be "putting its best foot forward. I'm sure we'll do pretty well".
