OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Anyone care to indulge in a glass of some high-quality H2O?
As it turns out, Ocala is the place to do just that!
For the second year running, the City of Ocala has been voted the best tasting drinking water at the 2024 Region XI North Central Florida Best Tasting Drinking Water Competition.
The event took place on May 16 and consisted of five judges completing a blind taste test of water from six cities within the region.
On the heels of their award, the City of Ocala released its 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report (DWQR) which included data taken between January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.
The city states in the report that all of Ocala’s water is sourced from ground water from six source wells which draw from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. The water is then softened and chlorinated for disinfecting purposes and fluoridated for dental health purposes.
The reports say that the Action Level (AL) of contaminants, which measures the concentration of a contaminant, has to be treated if it is exceeded. According to the report, the contaminants Copper and Lead were under the bar of the AL.
The report also stated that inorganic contaminants, disinfectants, and radioactive materials did not receive any Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) violations, meaning that the drinking water in Ocala never reached the highest levels of contamination or disinfection in the year of 2023.
If you want to read more on the DWQR, click here.
The City of Ocala’s drinking water post-season is not done yet! It will now go on to compete in the “Best of the Best” Tap Water Taste Contest against other regional winners from across The Sunshine State. The event will take place in early December, at the Florida Section American Water Works Association Fall Conference in Orlando.
