Latest news with #NigelBowen
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Timaru's Water Becomes A Third Time Champion For Taste
Timaru's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting in New Zealand as part of the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. It's not only the humans that enjoy the best tasting water in NZ, the supply is a rural scheme that services 450 properties and plenty of stock in the 5000-hectare area north of Timaru. 'The Seadown Scheme also services our airport, so everyone is welcome to come visit and try the best water in New Zealand, there's a drinking fountain ready for you when you land,' Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said. 'We all take it for granted that we can just turn a tap and the safe, clean and great tasting water comes out, but it takes quite a bit of work to get it there. 'There are 13 schemes in the Timaru District, it takes a lot of work from the team and infrastructure to get it from the source to tap and tasting the best. 'Water is one of our core services in local government and it's great to know we are doing our best for the ratepayer.' Timaru District Council Drainage and Water Manager Andrew Lester said after winning the best tasting water with Pleasant Point and Downlands in previous years, it was important to 'show a little love to Timaru's other water Schemes'. 'We were pretty confident going in that we had the best tasting water, but there was some pretty stiff competition with Waimakariri, Taupo and Rotorua,' he said. 'Our team work hard, so it was great to hear the judges say our water is crisp and delicious. 'We look forward to seeing how we go in the Trans-Tasman taste test, and as we said about the New Zealand competition, may the best water win.'
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Timaru brings best-tasting tap water title back south
Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. Four New Zealand district councils were vying for the coveted title, including the reigning champions, Rotorua Lakes District Council. Mayor of Timaru, Nigel Bowen, was delighted with the result. 'It is really good water, it's from a shallow well next to the Ōpihi River, so a really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment, a little bit of chlorine and ultraviolet.' It's the third time Timaru's water has taken out top spot, he says, but this is the first win for the Seadown water scheme. The scheme covers 450 households, and farm stock, but also the airport, so visitors can sample for themselves when they land, he says. 'Come to Timaru and try the best water in the country,' he said. Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste. He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies. "That just shows no matter what the source there is a great treatment process to produce really good quality water." He said the competition was a way of showcasing the work operations staff were doing to produce safe, compliant and good tasting, quality drinking water. McIndoe said it was a tough competition, as drinking water quality was high across New Zealand. One of the judges, IXOM technical specialist Rachel Oxtoby was impressed with each of the samples. "This is a tough call. They are all really clear, really crisp, not too much in the way of earth tones, chlorine, or odour. It's hard." It was also a difficult decision for judge Jean Calderon of Water Industry Operations Association of Australia. "They are all delicious, it's interesting. I thought there would be more differences in the odour. It's going to be a tough call." Water Industry Operations Group executive officer Craig Hiddleston identified at least one notable sample. "There's definitely three that are very similar and one that stands out, but not in a good way." Sprig and Fern Brewing Company owner Tracy Banner has been judging beers and ciders for several decades, but it's the first time she's judged water. "I've just literally come back from judging the World Beer Cup in Indianapolis and from there I went to Melbourne and judged the annual Australian International Beer Awards and I was so thrilled to be invited to come and judge water because it is actually a real interest of mine." Banner tasted the water in her Richmond brewery every day to check its quality and said while beer and water tasting were not dissimilar, the latter had proven more difficult. "It was so hard, there were four fantastic finalists who were deserving... it was more difficult than judging beer. "I think it's easier to score on the clarity and the colour than the aroma and the flavour, because they were so close." Previous winners of the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in New Zealand title 2024 Infracore Rotorua Lakes Council 2023 Waimate District Council 2022 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2021 Timaru District Council 2020 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2019 Timaru District Council 2018 Waikato District Council 2017 Sicon (Contractor for Selwyn DC) 2016 Palmerston North City Council
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
NZ's best-tasting tap water found
Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition. Four New Zealand district councils were vying for the coveted title, including the reigning champions, Rotorua Lakes District Council. Mayor of Timaru, Nigel Bowen, was delighted with the result. 'It is really good water, it's from a shallow well next to the Ōpihi River, so a really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment, a little bit of chlorine and ultraviolet.' It's the third time Timaru's water has taken out top spot, he says, but this is the first win for the Seadown water scheme. The scheme covers 450 households, and farm stock, but also the airport, so visitors can sample for themselves when they land, he says. 'Come to Timaru and try the best water in the country,' he said. Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste. He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies. "That just shows no matter what the source there is a great treatment process to produce really good quality water." He said the competition was a way of showcasing the work operations staff were doing to produce safe, compliant and good tasting, quality drinking water. McIndoe said it was a tough competition, as drinking water quality was high across New Zealand. One of the judges, IXOM technical specialist Rachel Oxtoby was impressed with each of the samples. "This is a tough call. They are all really clear, really crisp, not too much in the way of earth tones, chlorine, or odour. It's hard." It was also a difficult decision for judge Jean Calderon of Water Industry Operations Association of Australia. "They are all delicious, it's interesting. I thought there would be more differences in the odour. It's going to be a tough call." Water Industry Operations Group executive officer Craig Hiddleston identified at least one notable sample. "There's definitely three that are very similar and one that stands out, but not in a good way." Sprig and Fern Brewing Company owner Tracy Banner has been judging beers and ciders for several decades, but it's the first time she's judged water. "I've just literally come back from judging the World Beer Cup in Indianapolis and from there I went to Melbourne and judged the annual Australian International Beer Awards and I was so thrilled to be invited to come and judge water because it is actually a real interest of mine." Banner tasted the water in her Richmond brewery every day to check its quality and said while beer and water tasting were not dissimilar, the latter had proven more difficult. "It was so hard, there were four fantastic finalists who were deserving... it was more difficult than judging beer. "I think it's easier to score on the clarity and the colour than the aroma and the flavour, because they were so close." Previous winners of the IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in New Zealand title 2024 Infracore Rotorua Lakes Council 2023 Waimate District Council 2022 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2021 Timaru District Council 2020 Conference and competition cancelled due to Covid 2019 Timaru District Council 2018 Waikato District Council 2017 Sicon (Contractor for Selwyn DC) 2016 Palmerston North City Council
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Timaru blows rivals out of the water again
Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Fly to Timaru and taste the country's top water - that's the invitation from the city's mayor Nigel Bowen after its latest success. Timaru District Council's Seadown water supply has been crowned the best tasting tap water in New Zealand in the 2025 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition . It's the third time the city has won the contest in the last six years. The samples were drawn from a scheme that is one of 13 the city runs and its location next to the Timaru airport prompted Bowen to invite people from around the country to come and sample it. Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand chairperson Joshua McIndoe said the four finalists were judged on four criteria: colour, clarity, odour and taste. He said the water from Rotorua and Taupō were both from surface water catchments, while Timaru and Waimakariri were both bore water supplies. Bowen said he was very proud as it was an exciting success for the city. "I think it puts a lot of focus on what a cool thing it is for local government as far as what we need to provide and invest in for the country." Judges said the water didn't taste too much of chlorine and had some earthy tones. Bowen said the samples were taken from the small Seadown Water Scheme which covers about 500 hectares covering 450 households and close to the airport. "So if you fly into Timaru you can taste the best water in the country on arrival. But it is really good water." The source was a shallow well next to the Opihi River. "So really good source water and there's not a lot of treatment. It's a little bit of chlorine and ultra-violet so it does speak to the quality of the source water and also the great job that our team in water do." The city had won the competition three times and each time had used a different scheme for its entry so it was testimony to the work of the city's water engineers, Bowen said. Timaru will represent New Zealand at the trans-Tasman water taste-off in Australia in July. Asked if the city could win "the Bledisloe Cup" for water supremacy, Bowen assured Morning Report host Paddy Gower the city would be "putting its best foot forward. I'm sure we'll do pretty well".
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
It's Time To Have Your Say On Water Reform
Timaru District Council is saying it wants to work with its neighbours to deliver better water services for everyone, as it takes its local water proposal out for public consultation. The consultation, which opens today and runs until 6 June outlines the council's response to the Government's Local Water Done Well reforms and asks for the public to provide their feedback. Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said that as a council they had fought hard for communities to have the opportunity to have their say on water reform, so now it was time to tell us what you think. 'This is one of the most important consultations that we'll undertake as it will have a critical and long-lasting influence on how we deliver one of our core services,' he said. 'Timaru was one of the lead campaigners against the original 'Three Waters' plan through Communities 4 Local Democracy, and we're pleased that through the Local Water Done Well policy that we are able to shape our own ideas for delivering sustainable water services that continue to be locally owned and locally controlled. 'It's been a long road in enabling you to have a say in this matter, and I'm really pleased that you're now able to. 'While Timaru District is in a good position as far as water is concerned, we face long-term challenges for affordability and ensuring that water remains a priority in the face of many other competing services. This is one of the reasons that we're proposing moving to a Council Controlled Water Services Organisation as part of this consultation. 'In this scenario, we create a professionally run council owned organisation solely focused on delivering high quality and affordable water services for urban, rural, commercial and industrial customers. One that is led by a professional board, but still owned by and accountable to the community through your elected council. 'Affordability is one of the key measures of the success of our proposal. Independent modelling has shown that in the long-term water rates will be less expensive if services come from a CCO, and even cheaper if we combine services with our neighbours. 'This efficiency, and the ability to share scarce staffing resources, is the reason that we're proposing to work with neighbouring councils on a joint company that will provide services across the Central South Island region. 'I feel that together we're a lot stronger than the sum of our parts.' The preferred option being proposed by council is joining with neighbouring councils to set up a new water services organisation. The new joint organisation would own, operate, and maintain water services for all the shareholding councils. We would own part of this organisation with the partner councils. We would also give it direction through a special 'Statement of Expectations', which the councils would develop jointly, and which the organisation would need to give effect to. Estimates of a three council CCO with Mackenzie and Waimate District Councils would see the amount people pay for water services sit at $1,670 per year by 2034. A standalone unit remaining within council would cost customers around $1,900 a year. The joint plan also has a number of other advantages including providing specialist oversight, greater capacity and better opportunities for long-term efficiency gains. 'We're not proposing selling off any assets or removing local control. This isn't a pathway to privatisation or amalgamation,' said Bowen 'Our proposal is to create a council owned organisation that will be solely focused on benefiting our community and, hopefully, our neighbours as well. 'Our councils have a history of working together well, whether that's through our existing arrangements on water through the Downlands Rural Scheme to smaller collaborations on waste, roads, liquor licencing and environmental health.' You can read a hard copy of our consultation document in today's The Courier, or online at A series of online and in person opportunities to speak about the reforms will be published shortly.
