Pictured: Liam Tothill (left) from Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant receiving the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in South Australia trophy from Rita Meijer, WIOA Advisory Committee Chair and SA Water Implementation Lead.
Forget wine tastings, South Australia’s latest blind tasting has crowned a rather different local drop, with Happy Valley officially named home to the state’s best-tasting tap water.
SA Water’s Happy Valley Water Treatment Plant has taken out the 2026 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in South Australia competition, marking the second time it has claimed the title after first winning in 2016.
Water suppliers from across the state submitted samples for the annual competition, which was held as part of the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia’s SA Super Interest Day at Holdfast Bay on September 24th. Members of the public were also invited to take part in judging.
Samples are blind tasted and assessed on colour, clarity, odour and taste using a dedicated Water Tasting Wheel, with judges unaware of where each sample has come from.
Happy Valley’s win sees it reclaim the state crown exactly 10 years after its previous victory. Recent SA winners have included Morgan in 2025, Olympic Dam’s desalination plant in 2023 and 2024, Murray Bridge in 2022 and Anstey Hill in 2021.
The competition is designed to highlight the quality of drinking water around Australia while recognising the operators working behind the scenes to treat and supply it.
“This competition highlights the dedication and commitment of the operations staff and their water companies that work tirelessly – often in challenging conditions – to provide their communities with safe, high-quality drinking water every day,” shared Dean Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of WIOA.
“It also shines a spotlight on the vital behind-the-scenes work of this discreet industry, which supports communities around the clock.”
Happy Valley also earned the right to represent South Australia in the 2026 national competition, which brought together state champions from NSW/ACT, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and SA.
The national winner earns the chance to compete against New Zealand’s champion in a Trans-Tasman competition and can also enter the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition in West Virginia in the United States.
For now, though, Happy Valley gets the local bragging rights, and South Australians in its supply area can officially say their tap water has the trophy to prove it.
