City of Smithville Wins Regional TAUD “Best Tasting Water” Contest

The Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD) held the Region Four “Best
Tasting Water Contest” at the Cookeville Golf and Country Club on February 15th. With judges
performing two “taste-offs” to determine the winner Smithville Water and Sewer was awarded Best Tasting Water in Region 4.
TAUD Region Four consists of Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton,
Pickett, Putnam, Roane, Smith, Trousdale, Warren and White counties.
The utilities from Region Four submitting samples of their drinking water for competition were:
Bondecroft Utility District, Byrdstown Water Department, the City of Celina, Crab Orchard Utility District, the City of Crossville, Jamestown Gas and Water, Livingston Utilities, McMinnville Utilities, Red Boiling Springs Water, Smithville Water and Sewer, Warren County Utility District, and West Warren-Viola Utility District.
Cookeville Communications Radio Host Lee Wray, Amanda Mainord with Upper Cumberland
Development Districts and Michael Detwiler with Congressman Diane Black participated as judges for the contest. The drinking water samples were judged on their clarity, bouquet, and taste.
TAUD will conduct the Best Tasting Water in Tennessee Contest in each of the Association’s eleven regions in upcoming months. The winner of each region will participate in a statewide competition at TAUD’s Business of Running A Utility Conference at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg on August 9th. The statewide winner will then compete in Washington, D.C. for the Best Tasting Water in America.
The Tennessee Association of Utility Districts is the oldest rural water association in the nation and serves as the Tennessee chapter of the National Rural Water Association. TAUD serves as a source of training, technical assistance, and advocacy to over 400 water, wastewater, and natural gas utility members within the state. For more information please visit our website at www.taud.org or contact Beth Hardiman at 615-896-9022.
(Pictured above LEFT TO RIGHT STANDING: Kevin Robinson, Smithville Public Works Director and Todd Bowman, Smithville Water Plant Superintendent. FRONT ROW: Amanda Mainord, Upper Cumberland Development District; Michael Detwiler, Congressman Diane Black’s Office and Lee Wray, Radio Host, Cookeville Communications)