Josh Palmer of the Waimakariri District Council rates anonymous water samples during the first heat of the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test. Photo / Annabel Reid
Josh Palmer of the Waimakariri District Council rates anonymous water samples during the first heat of the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test. Photo / Annabel Reid
Twenty judges swirled, sniffed and sipped water samples in Rotorua today as the hunt continues for the country’s best-tasting water.
The Rotorua Lakes Council and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council each earned a spot in the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test grand final after the judges deliveredtheir verdict.
The result comes after InfraCore Rotorua Lakes Council’s Karamu Takina Spring won the title in 2024, while Timaru District Council won last year.
This year’s four finalists – the Rotorua Lakes Council, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, the Manawatū District Council and the Napier City Council – will face expert judging at midday tomorrow.
The winner will be announced at the Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand (WIOG) awards dinner.
The successful council will earn national bragging rights as the supplier of the country’s best-tasting tap water for the next 12 months, and go on to represent New Zealand in the transtasman final against Australia’s reigning champion, from Katherine in the Northern Territory.
All municipal water suppliers were invited to submit samples as part of the annual WIOG conference, hosted in Rotorua. The competition aims to highlight drinking water quality and recognise the work of local water operators.
The Rotorua Lakes and Western Bay of Plenty councils each earned a spot in the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test grand final. Photo / Annabel Reid
Samples were assessed in a blind taste test using the Water Tasting Wheel, which measures qualities such as colour, clarity, smell and taste.
Judge Josh Palmer, from the Waimakariri District Council, said smell and taste were the key factors, with most samples visually similar and difficult to distinguish.
He described one sample as “sweet” and “really smooth”, while others carried a slight chlorine smell and taste.
WIOG chair Joshua McIndoe said the competition highlighted the dedication of people and organisations working to provide safe, high-quality drinking water.
“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to cook and to shower, with little thought about the complexities involved in operating and maintaining the water infrastructure,” he said.
The IXOM-sponsored event, often dubbed the “Bledisloe Cup of tap-water tasting”, marks its 10th year, with organisers and industry leaders highlighting the importance of consistently safe and great-tasting water across the country.
Executive vice-president Sean Eccles said it was a “privilege” to supply locally manufactured products nationally to ensure safe, clean and great-tasting water.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.
