Thousands of visitors are expected to arrive, bottled water in hand, in Tamworth next week as the city plays host to the NSW and ACT Best Tasting Tap Water competition and Water Industry conference.
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Over three thousand visitors are expected for the three day event at the TRECC, and the Tamworth team are looking to go two places better than they did a few years ago when the local drop placed third in Orange.
This year they might have lady luck on their side, with freshly crowned Country Music Queen Alexandra Kellahan a guest judge for Wednesday’s top four final.
Tamworth Regional Council Water Engineer Adrian Cameron said that every region brings a sample of their tap water, which is then served warm and blind tested by each table at the conference on Tuesday.
The top four then go through to the final on Wednesday, with the winner going to the “Water State of Origin” later in the year to decide Australia’s best drop, before the winner goes on to the World Championships in the USA.
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“It’s all a bit of fun while the conference is on,” Mr Cameron said.
“They say water is tasteless, but there is a difference.
“It’s hard to describe but you want a little bit of taste and body to your water, not too slippery in the mouth. It has to look, smell and taste great – and obviously no floaties in the glass.”
The conference, which will involve over 700 operators from all over the state will officially begin with a meet and greet on Tuesday, before a full conference day on Wednesday.
Thursday’s trade show will have over 1100 exhibitors and is totally free and open to the public, covering all things water from new technology, pumps and monitoring tools, piping, chemicals and everything in between.
Mr Cameron himself will be presenting a paper on the new filters which are currently being installed at the Tamworth water works in Callala.
“We have 12 filters in all, so far four of them have been replaced and we are on to the fifth,” he said.
“I will be talking about the new technology and the new media in the filters we are using, what we have found in the old filters and what the plans are for the future.
“It is exciting to have the conference in Tamworth again, and I think our water can give them a run for their money.”