JAMAICA'S National Water Commission (NWC) won last week's regional 'Best Tasting Drinking Water' competition held at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in

The Bahamas.

The competition, which saw regional water utilities submitting samples of their best tasting tap water, was judged by a panel of water experts at the 21st Annual Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (WWA) conference and exhibition.

The NWC's Jason Oliphant of the Quality Assurance, Control and the Environment Department collected and bottled the tap water samples from the Seaview Water Treatment Plant which were submitted by NWC.

Six other utilities from the region took up the challenge and submitted samples for the contest from their systems. The other participants were:

* Water and Sewerage Corporation of The Bahamas;

* Dominica Water and Sewerage Company;

* National Water and Sewerage Authority of Grenada;

* Montserrat Utilities Limited;

* Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority; and

* Suriname Water Management.

"Without a doubt it has been established long ago that Jamaica has the best tasting water in the region. Jamaica can now be dubbed not only as "land of wood and water", but also is now recognised as being blessed with the best water in the region," Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill was quoted by a release from the NWC.

NWC Quality Assurance, Control and the Environment Manager Don Streete said the commission entered the contest fully confident and expecting to win based on the proven track record of the NWC's service delivery across Jamaica. Another testament to the quality of the water is that ships continue to make Jamaica their place of choice to replenish their water supplies.

The annual CWWA conference is a highly publicised premier regional event for water, wastewater, and solid waste management professionals and decision-makers, including engineers, industry leaders, CEOs, ministers of government, and High-Level Dignitaries from across the Caribbean region, as well as participants from Latin America, North America, and even Europe.