LA Tap Water Deemed Best-Tasting In Competition; Santa Ana Gets 2nd Place

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Do you enjoy the taste of your tap water? Apparently, you should if you live in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, or Ventura counties.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the wholesaling agency that provides water to 19 million people in six counties, announced Monday it took first place in an international competition to determine the best-tasting tap water.

The agency won the prize during the 31st annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition, which included entries from 14 countries and 19 states.

The city of Santa Ana -- a member of MWD -- took second place.

"While water quality and safety are always our utmost priorities, it's also important to us that consumers like the taste of our water," MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said in a statement. "Good taste is an important confirmation for consumers of the quality of the water coming from their taps."

According to MWD, the winning water originated in Northern California's Sierra Nevada, was imported through the State Water Project and treated at the Jensen Water Treatment Plant in Granada Hills with ozone gas. The water is also lightly treated with "a small amount of chlorine" as it leaves the plant for disinfection purposes. Water from the Jensen plant is circulated in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties, and it is frequently blended with local supplies before reaching homes and businesses.

It's not the first time MWD has claimed the top prize. The agency also won the competition in 2008 and 1998, while placing second in 2000 and 2003.