CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire may have the best tasting water in Massachusetts but it wasn't quite good enough to be the best in the nation. 

 

Water Department Superintendent Travis Delratez had sent a sample of Cheshire's exemplary water to compete at the Rural Water Rally Great American Taste Test in Washington, D.C., this week. The taste testing of the best of the best water systems in the nation comes during the annual three-day rural water conference. 

 

Cheshire had high hopes of making it into the finals but, alas, this wasn't the year. The five semi-finalists chosen were from Iowa, Louisana, North Dakota, Maryland, and Wisconson. 

 

Arcadia Water Utility of Wisconsin won the gold medal with City of Salisbury (Md.) Paleo Water Plant taking silver and the Southeast Water Users District in North Dakota, bronze. 

 

The judges were Kevin Baily, on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Claudette Fernandez, assistant administrator for water and environment programs, Rural Utilities Service; and Sarah Tyree, vice president of government affairs for CoBank. The water samples were rated on clarity, bouquet and taste.

 

Delratez was taking the opportunity to travel the halls of Congress and met with three Massachusetts congressman to speak on drinking water issues, according to the Town Administrator Mark Webber.