In another nod to the region the water sample was one of two taken from the mighty MacDonald River, with Bendemeer’s supply also making the finalists table.

Unfortunately neither New England supply won the accolade, after Port Macquarie-Hastings took out the top prize from their sample taken from the Hastings River, while Kempsey was the fourth finalist.

Their team will now represent NSW at the water of Origin series in Brisbane later in the year.

The Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water competition was hosted at the TRECC in Tamworth this year, and is a sideshow to the annual three day NSW Water Industry Operations Conference and Exhibition. 

Walcha Council general manager Jack O’Hara said to make the top four is a credit to his team and the recent upgrades to the treatment plant. 

"This is great news, and a credit to Dylan Reeves our director of engineering, Tess Dawson our manager water sewer and waste, Kevin Creighton our water works manager, and the entire water team,"  he said.

"Our water has won awards before, and this recent accolade is no doubt partly due to the $400,00 water treatment works upgrade completed last year.”

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Tamworth’s Country Music Queen Alexandra Kellahan was guest judge on the day, and praised all four samples, which were blind tested for taste, colour, mouthfeel and odor.

“I was lucky enough to grow up on rainwater, and the winning sample nearly tasted exactly like rain water,” she said.

“You could actually really taste the difference between all four of the samples, they were all different, but all really good.”