14 May 2026 – Manawatū District Council’s Stanway-Halcombe water scheme has won New Zealand’s best tasting tap water title in the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test competition.

In the ultimate showdown, the New Zealand champion went on to compete against Australia’s top drop in the IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test, the ‘Bledisloe Cup of tap water tasting’. In a closely fought competition, Manawatū District Council’s Stanway-Halcombe water scheme lost to the Northern Territory’s Katherine water treatment plant.

The competitions took place in Rotorua at the annual Water Industry Operations Group of New Zealand (WIOG) conference and awards on 14 May. All municipal water suppliers in New Zealand were invited to compete in the IXOM National Water Taste Test and submit a sample of their finest drop to WIOG.

The IXOM National Water Taste Test is a fun way to raise awareness of the quality of drinking water in New Zealand, while recognising the efforts of local water operators and their teams who deliver this valuable water service to their communities.

As the winner of the IXOM National Water Taste Test, Manawatū District Council’s Stanway-Halcombe water scheme won the right to represent New Zealand against Australia in the IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test. While it didn’t win the trans-Tasman contest, it does have bragging rights over the other water suppliers in New Zealand for the next 12 months.

During judging, water samples are subjected to a blind taste test and rated according to the ‘Water Tasting Wheel’. The Wheel outlines some of the attributes water professionals use when assessing water such as colour, clarity, odour and taste. Think ‘wine tasting’ without needing to spit out the samples and you won’t be far wrong.

“Many of us turn on taps for a drink, to cook and to shower, with little thought about the complexities involved in operating and maintaining the water infrastructure,” said Joshua McIndoe, Chair, WIOG. “This competition highlights the dedication of individuals and organisations that work tirelessly to provide their communities with safe, high-quality drinking water every day.”

Mr McIndoe also acknowledged IXOM’s decade-long support of the IXOM National Water Taste Test. “IXOM’s commitment to the industry enables us to continue running this competition year after year and celebrate the critical work of water service providers across the country,” he said.

“For over 10 years now, we've been proud to sponsor the IXOM National Water Taste Test competition,” said Sean Eccles, Executive Vice President – New Zealand, IXOM. “As a leading supplier of water treatment chemicals to the sector, IXOM supports water treatment plants with reliable, resilient and innovative solutions. It's our privilege to supply locally manufactured products to water treatment plants all over New Zealand to ensure everyone has access to safe, clean and great-tasting drinking water.”

Grand Finalists of the 2026 New Zealand IXOM National Water Taste Test:

• Napier City Council
• Rotorua Lakes District Council
• Western Bay of Plenty District Council

2026 New Zealand IXOM National Water Taste Test:

• Judging of the heats took place on Wednesday 13 May and the Grand Finalists decided.
• Judging of the Grand Final took place on Thursday 14 May.
• The winner of the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test was announced on the evening of Thursday, 14 May at the WIOG conference and awards dinner in Rotorua.
• Previous winners of the IXOM National Water Taste Test are:

Judges for the 2026 New Zealand IXOM National Water Taste Test competition were:

• Brent Park, Founder and Winemaker, Volcanic Hills
• Murray Clayton, WIOG Life Member
• Rachel Oxtoby, Technical Account Manager, IXOM
• Kim Gales, Administration and Event Support, WIOA
• George Wall, WIOA Life Member

Judges’ comment regarding the 2026 New Zealand IXOM National Water Taste Test:

“Well done to each of the grand finalists. The high standard of water delivered by these water suppliers made our task of selecting the winner a challenge, albeit a welcome one. While it was a close competition, our decision was unanimous. So congratulations to the operators at Manawatū District Council’s Stanway-Halcombe water scheme, who have been doing a fantastic job of delivering safe, great-tasting tap water to their community, and delivering it to a standard that has been judged the best in New Zealand.”

IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test:

• The winner of the 2026 IXOM National Water Taste Test competed against Australia’s national champion, Power and Water’s Katherine water treatment plant in the Northern Territory.
• Judging of the 2026 IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test was on the evening of Thursday 14 May at the WIOG conference and awards dinner in Rotorua.
• The winner of the IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test was decided by popular vote.
• Previous results of the IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test are:

2025 Winner: Australia (Glenden Scheme, Isaac Regional Council, Queensland)

(beating Seadown, Timaru District Council)

2024 Draw: Karamu Takina Spring, Infracore Rotorua Lakes Council competing against

Fern Tree, TasWater, Tasmania, Australia

Judges’ comment regarding the 2026 IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test:

“The IXOM Trans-Tasman Water Taste Test is a great way to acknowledge the commitment of the water operators across New Zealand and Australia to deliver safe, high-quality and compliant drinking water to our communities. The competition between New Zealand and Australia was very close and it could have gone either way. But this year it went to Australia.”

When judging the best tasting tap water, the judges consider:

• Colour: Completely translucent without any white or brown tones
• Clarity: Crystal clear, not cloudy
• Odour: Nice scent
• Taste: Pleasing to the palate.

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