BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES, April 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The City of Challis claimed the 2026 title of Idaho’s best tasting drinking water during the Idaho Rural Water Association’s (IRWA) Spring Conference on April 2, 2026.
The other finalists were the City of Castleford (the defending champion) and Rogerson Water District.
IRWA will facilitate the opportunity for a representative of the City of Challis’ drinking water system to Washington D.C. with a sample of their drinking water to compete against the other state rural water association winners in a nationwide contest, The Great American Water Taste Test, which will take place in February 2027 as part of National Rural Water Association’s Rural Water Rally.
Finalists were selected in a preliminary round. The final round was judged by a panel of experts which included U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, Department of Environmental Quality Drinking Water Bureau Compliance and Enforcement Supervisor Cassandra Lemmons, and National Rural Water Association President Phillip Coombs.
Judges rated each water sample based on its clarity, bouquet, and taste. Each of the judges commended the quality of water and noted the difficulty in choosing the best tasting water in the state. Congressman Simpson joked that he gave them all the same scores so he couldn’t be accused of favoritism.
The representative from the City of Challis, Corey Rice, was honored to accept this award on behalf of the system during the Awards Banquet at Boise’s Riverside Hotel.
IRWA is a non-profit association comprised of 395 water and wastewater utility systems in Idaho that primarily serve populations of 10,000 or less. IRWA’s mission is to provide premier technical assistance, training, and a strong representative voice for the benefit of Idaho’s drinking water and wastewater utility systems.
Morgan Howard
Idaho Rural Water Association
+1 208-789-0116
mhoward@idrwa.org
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