Water award tastes sweet to Caribou
The Caribou Utilities District entered, and won, the Maine Rural Water Association’s 30th annual Best Tasting Water Contest last Thursday.
Until December of next year, America’s most northeastern city will hold the title of “Maine’s Best Tasting Water.”
The contest was held in Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center, where water samples from 22 municipalities were judged on subjective characteristics such as taste and appearance.
The statewide tap samples were split into two categories: disinfected and non-disinfected. Caribou won the disinfected category while Point Sebago won in non-disinfected. However, Caribou won the final round of judgement and subsequently brought home a trophy and plaque for their overall victory.
A panel of three judges sampled the water: USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel, retired Bangor Police Lt. Paul Edwards, and WABI TV weatherman Todd Simcox.
Hugh Kirkpatrick, general manager of the Caribou Utilities District, sayid everyone is very proud of the award, but credits the win to the city’s use of a gravel aquifer.
“This is the third time an Aroostook County community has won the award, and all three of those communities are obtaining their water via gravel aquifer,” Kirkpatrick said.
Limestone brought home the award last year and, according to Kirkpatrick, Ashland has won the statewide designation as well.
Gravel aquifers help with the extraction of fresh water from an underground well. Kirkpatrick says this method allows Caribou to obtain massive amounts of water.
“We have the capacity to make up to 2 million gallons of the best tasting water in the state per day,” Kirkpatrick said.
However, the city only uses a quarter of that amount, or a daily average of approximately 450,000 gallons.
Water coming from a gravel aquifer requires the same type of treatment applied to personal well water, the utilities manager explained.
“We just add a bit of fluorination and chlorine, similar to what you would do with well water,” Kirkpatrick said. “All they are is big wells.”
Contest judge Manuel congratulated the community in a press release issued last Thursday.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sample Maine’s pristine water samples from around the state,” Manuel said. “It is because of the hard work and dedication of the staff who operate Maine’s rural water systems, and partners like USDA Rural Development and Maine Rural Water, that access to safe, quality, and clean drinking water is accessible to Maine’s residents. Congratulations to Caribou Utilities District for being selected as ‘Maine’s best tasting water!’”
MRWA Director Kirsten Herbert stated in the same press release that “Providing drinking water for the general public is a tremendous responsibility. People have an expectation that when they open the tap, water will be plentiful, clean, and safe. That is what the industry does; we ensure safety.”
Caribou now has the opportunity to represent the state during Feb. 2017’s National Taste Test in Washington, D.C.
While the CUD is excited about their victory, their general manager maintains a humble attitude.
“My big takeaway is that Aroostook County has very good groundwater,” Kirkpatrick said.
