Plymouth's water system has been a topic of discussion for years, but it wasn't until recently that it made a splash in the New Hampshire Water Drinking Festival. This year, Plymouth took the top spot in the taste test, unseating long-time champion Concord. This is a significant achievement, as Concord has been dominant in this taste-test for years, taking home the top spot for most of the last decade. The festival is a ritual where fourth and fifth-graders learn about how water systems work from state professionals in the Department of Environmental Services. The students participate in workshops touching on everything from how sewage treatment works to PFAS contamination. Then, they sample tap water from a handful of municipalities across the state, blind to the origins of each water cup, and vote for which one they think tastes the best. The competition is fierce, with only a few towns and cities entering each year. This year, Manchester, Concord, Hooksett, and Plymouth participated. The rivalry is palpable, with a water works employee from a non-competing city even participating in the blind test and casting his vote. The employee, however, unknowingly selected Concord's water as the tastiest, highlighting the city's dominance in the competition. Concord's success can be attributed to its well-protected surface water source in Penacook Lake, which has allowed the city to invest in a system that delivers tasty, fresh water with minimal need for treatment. Plymouth, on the other hand, has been working to upgrade its water system for the last several years, including with a new well near Holderness. The upgrades appear to be paying off, with Plymouth taking home the award for best-tasting tap water in the state. This is a significant achievement for the town, as it has been working to improve its water system for years. The influx of federal money has played a crucial role in Plymouth's water system upgrades, and the town has been able to invest in new infrastructure to improve the quality of its water. The taste test is a fascinating event that highlights the importance of water quality and the efforts that towns and cities make to ensure that their residents have access to fresh, tasty water. It also serves as a reminder that water systems are complex and require ongoing maintenance and investment to ensure that they continue to provide high-quality water to the community. In my opinion, the taste test is a great way to engage the community in discussions about water quality and to highlight the efforts that towns and cities make to improve their water systems. It also serves as a reminder that water is a precious resource that requires careful management and investment to ensure that it continues to be available to future generations.
