The City of DeKalb Water Division recently won the Illinois Section American Water Works  Association (ISAWWA) District 1 Water Taste Test Competition. 

The contest was held on January 26, 2024, in Freeport Illinois. The City of DeKalb  competed against other District 1 public water supplies, comprising of cities located in the  northwestern part of the state including Rockford, North Park, Rock Island, Moline, and  Freeport to name a few. Water was judged based on clarity, taste, and odor.  

DeKalb will now advance to compete against other district winners from the state at the  annual ISAWWA WATERCON conference held on April 15, in Peoria. The winner of that  competition will hold the distinct honor of “Best Tasting Water” in the state. The winner  will also be allowed to compete at the national level at the American Water Works  Association (AWWA) conference in June, for a chance to be awarded “Best Tasting  Water” in the nation.  

This award recognizes the hard work that our staff at the DeKalb Water Division put in  every day to ensure that the water provided to the citizens of DeKalb is not only safe and  reliable, but great tasting as well. The complexities of achieving this can at times be taken  for granted.  

The DeKalb Water Division is honored to represent the citizens of DeKalb and the other  District 1 communities at the upcoming state water tasting competition. We are optimistic  we can bring home “First Place” as winner of “Best Tasting Water” in the state.