Reigning state champion Schenectady is defeated
An annual event in Schenectady County called for water to be drawn from the taps to see who would come out on top in a friendly taste bud battle of around 100 participants. The outcome this year wasn’t quite what most people were betting on to win.
The Town of Niskayuna received the title of best tap water in the county on Thursday, July, 1, during the annual Best Tasting Drinking Water in Schenectady County contest. Last year’s reigning state champion was the City of Schenectady and the state finals have seen the county win more than once.
The five municipalities represented at the contest at the farmers market in downtown Schenectady were the City of Schenectady, Village of Scotia and towns of Glenville, Rotterdam and the winner Niskayuna. Usually the rivalry is between the two past state title winners Rotterdam and Schenectady, but both will be stepping out early this year.
Niskayuna’s water is headed to the regional competition in Albany, so the battle of the taps only just started pouring for this town. The winner of the regional round goes to the state finals held at the New York State Fair in Syracuse.
The winner is always a little unclear, because choices seem varied based on personal taste preferences. What might be the best tasting water to one is the complete opposite of another person’s choice.
Two [samples] tasted a lot of what I felt was chlorine in it and I hope that wasn’t Schenectady, said Susan Fitzgerald, of Schenectady. `Three of them tasted good and it was hard to tell what to pick.`
Fitzgerald said she likes Schenectady’s water since it has a high mineral content, which she heard is supposed to be good for you. She doesn’t think there is any need for people to buy bottled water in Schenectady, because the tap is good enough.
There is one downside to Schenectady’s tap water though ` `It has a lot of calcium in it, so it is a pain to clean,` said Fitzgerald.
Brian Premerlani also likes his water to have a mineral taste and preferred samples that reminded him of a certain experience.
`I like the hose taste ` I like the mineral taste,` said Premerlani. `I’m curious to know what makes the difference.`
What makes the difference in each person’s choice might be hard to tell, whether it is an acquainted taste of minerals or a more filtered and pure quality, but there are also some other factors.
Jason Pelton, Schenectady County ground water management planner, said he really likes ice-cold water and sometimes the samples reach different temperatures. Though, the water samples are kept in coolers and are attempted to keep the same temperature.
All the water comes from The Great Flats Aquifer, but at different points for each municipality. The aquifer is approximately 25 square miles and the five municipal boundaries all lay above the aquifer.
Rigorous testing is done on all water coming out of the aquifer, said Pelton, which could lead to possibly better quality than bottled water.
Susan Savage, chair of Schenectady County legislature, also tried the water samples and came to her own conclusions.
Savage said she thought water preference `probably goes back to what you are used to drinking.`
A few samples stood out to Savage, but she said they all tasted good. She preferred water not having any chlorine or mineral taste.
`I didn’t rely on what I usually taste ` I just picked the water that was the best tasting,` said Savage. `I think [the county] can look forward to another state championship.`
The friendly rivalry might be solved countywide this year, but soon enough the small paper drinking cups will be brought out again and the winner isn’t always as clear as the water.“
