Pleasant response to water taste testing

Wanganui's hard water is not yucky tasting, a six-member testing panel has found.
It also compares favourably with water from Palmerston North.
One of the benefits of softening all the city's water has been given as the hard water's taste.
The Chronicle asked six Wanganui residents to sample water taken from seven different sources and rank the taste from one disgusting to 10 exceptional.
Top of the pops taste-wise was the city's hard water, drawn for the testing from St John's Hill, followed by hard, non-chlorinated water from a Westmere business.
While some argue calcium carbonate (what makes the water hard) adversely affects the water's taste, others say it is the chlorine.
Third was branded bottle water, while soft Wanganui water was ranked equal last with Palmerston North's water.
Comments on the St John's Hill water included "generally I don't like water, but this stuff is alright", "pleasant tasting" and "all round quite good, more please". However one tester said "there was an after taste, almost metallic". "It makes me want to puke my insides out" one tester said of the soft water. Another described it as having a "sharp taste, almost metallic" and a third tester said "that is some bad water".
The taste of Palmerston North's water also drew some strong criticism. "If this is our water, we should be ashamed", "not a pleasant taste" and "this water should be illegal."
Having their favourite and least favourite tasting water in a hot drink did not significantly alter testers' opinions. Testers were also asked to assess the water's smell and appearance. No trends were observed for these criteria. While this survey does not purport to be scientific, care was taken. Water was collected at the same time from a cold tap that was run for a couple of minutes and served chilled in glasses. The testers did not know what water they were tasting.
Wanganui District Council assets manager Dean Taylor said council's approach had always been to provide a high quality and safe water supply for all consumers. "We are confident that Wanganui water compares very well with other supplies."
Opinions of the taste of Wanganui water had always varied, but it was pleasing to note these results, especially as there was a degree of objectivity when tasters did not know the source, Mr Taylor said.
+ What do you think of the taste of your water and that of neighbouring cities. Email your views to news@wanganuichronicle.co.nz, fax 06 349 0722 or post to PO Box 433, Wanganui.