New York City Tap Water Voted Region's Tastiest

NEW YORK CITY — Toss out those fancy water filters New Yorkers, you don't need them. In a regional competition between New York, Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties — the big city was crowned the king of tap water.

New York City reigned supreme Monday in the New York State Regional Metro Tap Water Taste Contest held at the American Museum of Natural History. Museumgoers tested samples of the four counties' tap water and ranked their favorites.

New York City beat its suburban rivals for the chance to compete in a statewide competition on Aug. 31 in Syracuse, New York, officials from the city Department of Environmental Protection told Patch.

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"Generations ago, New York City had the foresight to construct the incredible network of infrastructure that uses only gravity to deliver high-quality drinking water from a pristine and protected watershed to the five boroughs," said acting DEP Commissioner Sapienza.

"Today we continue that proud tradition, investing billions of dollars in upgrades to our water supply system and watershed protection programs, to ensure that the next generation of New Yorkers continue to enjoy a reliable supply of high quality drinking water."

Since 1993, New York City has invested more than $1.7 billion into watershed protection programs, DEP officials said Wednesday. To ensure the city's water supply stays clean and tasty, the DEP conducts more than 630,000 tests each year.

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