Carson has state's best water

Thirsty? Pass up the bottled water, go straight to your tap and drink up because Carson City has the best water in the state.

At least that was the opinion of judges from the Nevada Rural Water Association who in April sampled water from around the state's rural areas for taste, color and aroma -- all of which good water should not have. Participating utilities from around the state bring a one-gallon glass jar of their best water, and the sample from Carson's Sierra-filled aquifer on the west side won the annual contest this year.

"We always believed we go beyond," Utility Operations Manager Tom Hoffert said. "It's quite an honor to be named the best tasting water for the state of Nevada. Carson City strives to have the best quality water we can supply our customers on an ongoing basis. We believe we do have the best."

That means treating the water until there's really "nothing left in the water," Hoffert said

Georgia Greenrod, association president, said the organization's board of directors from rural areas around the state vote yearly on the best water, and then submit the state selection to a national contest, in which Carson's water failed to place.

"We're just letting people in the community know they have good water," she said.

Even though water is the most abundant natural resource on the planet, millions, including David Peck, of Dayton, bypass the tap for a variety of bottled water brands.

"I buy bottled," Peck said Tuesday. "I used to (drink Carson water), but I didn't like it."

Greenrod said bottled water isn't always bottled at the mountain spring sources the bottles tout, and often just contain tap water

"People don't have anything to fear from their tap water," she said. "I think it's much better than bottled water, but people can argue with me."

Sheri Gaskill said with a Britta water filter Carson's water is "fine."

"If you put some ice in it, it's OK," she said. "This is the only place I've lived, but when we go to Las Vegas, it's way worse."

Victoria Roberts of Gardnerville said Carson and Gardnerville water tastes good to her, but then again, "I travel a lot and water is yuck in most places."

Whether you prefer bottled or tap water, consider this before you grab that bottle next time: 5,000 gallons of water in Carson City costs $2, the average pint bottle of water costs around $1.