Portage la Prairie has earned a spot among the top eight communities in North America for best-tasting water, following a rigorous competition at the American Water Works Association’s annual conference in Denver.
The competition brings together water treatment facilities from across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Portage earned the right to compete on the continental stage after placing first at the Western Canada competition held in September 2024. That event featured entries from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Representing western Canada on the big stage
Karly Friesen, director of utility for Portage la Prairie, says their first-place finish in Western Canada secured them a spot at the larger North American event.
“We came in first place representing water treatment plants from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.”
Friesen explains that water samples couldn’t be brought by hand due to air travel restrictions.
“We had to ship our samples. Of course, it looks a little weird carrying all this water on an airplane.”
North America's best water put to the test
The Denver event featured 36 water samples from 30 total regions. Friesen says the first round of judging took place privately, and Portage was named one of the top eight finalists.
“We know we were in the first round of elimination and made the top eight out of 30.”
Although Portage didn’t advance into the top three, making the final eight in their first appearance was a major achievement.
Taste, not tech, determines the winner
Friesen confirms the judging is a literal taste test, not a technical analysis.
“There’s three judges that look for things like taste and odour—if there’s an aftertaste or a mineral flavour.”
One judge, she says, was a professional water taster by trade, while another was head of the company that sponsored the event.
“He was very honest. He’s like, ‘I’m just going by what I like.’”
Judges also smell the samples, and water with strong odours like chlorine are quickly eliminated.
Portage’s surface water stands out
Friesen notes that most of the top three entries used groundwater sources, which tend to be clearer and require less treatment. By contrast, Portage draws from the muddy surface water of the Assiniboine River.
“Considering the source of our water, we definitely did very, very well.”
Pride in first-time performance
This marks the first time Portage has won at the Western Canada level and its first trip to the AWWA’s Ace Conference. Friesen says the community has come close before but never made it this far.
“We’ve come in second a couple of times. This is our first time winning.”
Although only the top two winners receive trophies and their names on a plaque, Friesen says she’s proud of her team’s accomplishment.
“I’m just extremely proud of our entire team. I know they work very hard, and especially in the summertime, it’s harder to produce high-quality, great-tasting water, and they manage to do it every day.”
The top winner was a Virginia company contracted to provide water in that community.