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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland Parks moves rec division to The Grove ... Ashland Rotary Easter egg hunt set for Sunday ... Keeping calm: Free sessions offer help in readying for disaster ... Ashland Parks moves rec division to The Grove ... Ashland Rotary Easter egg hunt set for Sunday ... Keeping calm: Free sessions offer help in readying for disaster ... PUBLIC UTILITIES Ashland water tops regional taste test Comment By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 8:44 PM By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 8:44 PM » Social News At approximately 11 a.m. on the third of March in a vast Grants Pass Council Chamber, four tasters took a sip heard 'round Oregon and declared Ashland water the winner. The city of Ashland public water supply had the best scent, taste and after-taste, according to the judges, beating out the usual winner, the city of Medford, which gets its water from a spring. This is the first time Ashland has won the taste test. “It’s fun to win one," says Greg Hunter, Water Treatment Plant Supervisor, who oversees the drinking supply for Ashland. "They don’t have to do as much to it because it’s a spring. We have surface water.” “I go to the fountain and taste it everyday to check for changes”, says Hunter. “We have a pristine water supply of snow-pack,” which he says makes treating the water a more subtle process than if Ashland got its water downstream along a river. But Ashland’s water is surface, meaning it stays in the open elements affected by sunlight, air quality and all the naturally occurring impacts of an open water source. It means the water has to be treated, not only with the state’s demands for chlorine but other chemicals to make sure it is healthy and clear of algaes or elements not optimum for drinkers. Hunter refers to the water as a recipe. “The recipe is formed within a time frame," he says. "You come up with the lowest dosage of chemicals, take out most particles could harbor pathogens and color. We take a raw source water and make it drinkable and tasty.” Now that Ashland’s water is officially the best tasting in Southern Oregon, it moves on to a regional competition against Washington, Idaho and other Oregon water sources. That happens on May 5 in Boise. If Ashland emerges as a winner there it moves on to nationals in Chicago. Hunter says he feels hopeful, especially since, when tasting his water each day, “I am rarely disappointed.” When asked how he does it, Hunter says he has a routine of monitoring by taste, but also, “I don’t drink coffee, smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.” He credits his operators as well who keep constant watch through testing in all sort of scientific and newfangled ways but also by using old-fashioned methods, such as heating the water to magnify its qualities. The water award announced at the Ashland City Council meeting Tuesday was met with smiles and congratulations by council members and administrators. Not bad for a system which produces about 900 million gallons of drinking water every year for residents of the city of Ashland. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ @julieakins. By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 8:44 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501