Metropolitan Water District Wins Silver at International Water Tasting Competition

Metropolitan Water District (Photo – watereducation.org)

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California earned second place in the municipal water category at the 36th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition. The event featured more than 100 water entries from five continents. This marks Metropolitan’s eighth medal in recent years.

By News Desk

The district has a long history of recognition at the competition, with first‑place finishes in 2021, 2008 and 1998; second‑place awards in 2022, 2003 and 2000; and a third‑place award in 2005.

Metropolitan’s 2026 entry consisted of a blend of Colorado River water, delivered through the Colorado River Aqueduct, and northern Sierra water from the State Water Project. The blend was treated at the F.E. Weymouth Water Treatment Plant in La Verne using an ozone process, followed by a small amount of chlorine for distribution system protection.

Ozone treatment is used at all five of Metropolitan’s treatment plants to address microorganisms and remove tastes and odors. The agency conducts extensive testing, performing about 250,000 water quality tests each year and monitoring for nearly 400 constituents to meet federal and state drinking water standards.

Water from the Weymouth plant is distributed by gravity to agencies in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The facility can treat up to 520 million gallons per day and operates alongside Metropolitan’s Water Quality Laboratory.

The laboratory also houses the district’s Flavor Profile Analysis panel, a trained group that evaluates water samples several times a week to support quality control across the regional system.