The results are in… with experts voting Katherine’s tap water the nation’s best at a national competition. The Water Industry Operations Association (WIOA) hosted the 2025 Best-Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition on Friday, 5 December, in Queensland, and Katherine’s top drop received the highest accolade.

In its search for a winner, WIOA invites all water suppliers to participate in the competition. Water samples undergo a blind taste test and are evaluated using the Water Tasting Wheel, which highlights key attributes such as colour, clarity, odour and taste – just like a wine tasting.

Power and Water Executive General Manager Water Services, Stephen Vlahovic, said the results reflect the extensive work undertaken on Katherine’s water supply.

‘We polled our Water Services workforce to find out their preference of where we should take our water sample from for this competition,’ Mr Vlahovic said.

‘Katherine quickly stood out. The community has worked with us over several years through major improvements to their water supply, and choosing Katherine felt like the right way to recognise not only the work done to provide quality water, but also the community’s support.’

Katherine’s water supply is a blend of mainly Katherine River water, that comes from the pristine Katherine Gorge, and some bore water.

‘Blending the two helps us strike the right pH balance, as the river water is soft and the bore water is hard,’ Mr Vlahovic said.

Dean Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of WIOA, said the annual Best-Tasting Tap Water Competition is a fun and engaging way to celebrate the high quality of Australia’s drinking water while acknowledging the dedication of the teams who deliver this essential resource to their communities.

‘The competition highlights the dedication of individuals and organisations that work tirelessly – often in challenging conditions – to provide their communities with safe, high-quality drinking water every day,’ he said.

‘It’s also a great way to shine a spotlight on the vital work happening behind the scenes to safeguard Australia’s water future.’

The Katherine Water Treatment Plant

Media contact: 0401 117 599 / media@powerwater.com.au