Water is Not Water (2) - Even if it is Tap Water

by Michael Mascha

As it turns out "Water is Not Water" but it has terroir and taste different, even if it is tap water.  This conclusion comes from a UK panel, including Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens.

And if you think this is a new idea, think again.

The Roman Empire built an extensive aqueduct system, an ambitious feat of engineering not surpassed until the twentieth century. At Rome’s peak, eleven aqueducts served the city. The Romans were discriminating about water quality and judged each source by the transparency and  taste of its water. Aqua Marcia, which drew water from the Anio River 57 miles (92 km) away, was regarded as the aqueduct with the finest water. Pliny the Elder claimed its water was also the coldest. The next best water came from a spring 14 miles (23 km) to the north, carried by the Aqua Viro, which today ends at the Trevi Fountain. Other aqueducts, such as the Aqua Anio Novus and Aqua Anio Vetus (Tivoli), also fed off the Anio River but were regarded as slightly muddy.

The BBC writes: "Water from 10 regions was marked by judges in a blind taste test at a restaurant in London's swish Chelsea. And the judges marked Severn Trent Water the best. The panel of Michelin starred chefs and wine experts described the water, which gushes from the pipes in Birmingham, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Nottingham, Leicester and parts of mid-Wales, as having a "clean taste" and being "very fresh", as well as "beautifully pure, a mountain stream of freshness".

Anglian Water, which covers East Anglia and parts of the East Midlands, was placed second while Thames Water, which covers Oxfordshire, London, Wiltshire, north Kent, Thames Valley and Surrey came third. The tasting competition was set up to celebrate the launch of a new initiative from the Green Thing, an environmental group. The Drink Tap campaign will encourage people to stop drinking bottled water and switch to tap water during August. It aims to highlight the beneficial impact that this change will have on the environment. With tap water there is no plastic to recycle and no carbon emissions from transportation of the product."

The top 10 tap waters were:

1. Severn Trent Water
2. Anglian Water
3. Thames Water
4. Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
5. Southern Water - Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
6. Scottish Water
7. South West Water
8. Yorkshire Water
9. United Utilities - Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria
10. Wessex Water

Hopefully the time is not to far off when the panel will also discover that bottled water has different taste and that it is not really about finding the best water but enjoying the differences of water in an epicurean context. In the same way as there is no "Best Wine" there is no "Best Water".

Source: BBC