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WEST JORDAN — If you need a cool, refreshing gulp of water to beat the heat, cross your fingers in hopes that you are among the 600,000 people in the Salt Valley who get to savor the second best-tasting water in the country.
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District recently earned that honor at a Dallas-hosted national competition for taste-testing of water quality and crispness.
The June competition left the district headquartered in West Jordan placing behind only one other provider — Fremont, Neb.
General manager Richard Bay said judges had ample praise in "The Best of the Best" contest put on by the American Water Works Association.
"This water has just the right blend of minerals, which gives it its clean, crisp taste," Bay said. "Obviously the judges agreed."
The district's ranking in the competition had it swamping other providers in Naples, Fla., Bend, Ore., Rochester, N.Y., and even last year's No. 1 winner from Greenwood, S.C.
This water has just the right blend of minerals, which gives it its clean, crisp taste.
–Richard Bay
Jordan district gets it water from five mountain streams south of Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Sandy/Draper area, which provide cold snowmelt water to the plant. The district enhanced its treatment process at its Southeast Regional Treatment plant that among other things allowed it to boost efficiency in sedimentation removal.
The district has 17 member agencies that include Draper, Midvale, Herriman, South Jordan, Riverton and West Jordan. It provides retail service to portions of Murray and Holladay.
"We’ve always known we’re fortunate to have such pristine sources for our drinking water. Now we’re happy the rest of the nation gets to hear how good our water is,” Bay said.
