Clean, neutral Oklahoma City water wins taste test

TORONTO (Reuters) - A neutral water that tastes of nothing won the "best of the best" award on Monday at an annual competition to find North America's finest drinking water.

The winner, Oklahoma City, outranked 10 other finalists in the contest, which was held on the sidelines of the American Water Works Association conference in Toronto. Champaign, Illinois-based Illinois American Water, winner in 2005 and 2006, was not a finalist this year.

"The winning water in its nothingness and neutrality, pleased all of the judges," said guest judge Jennifer Bain, food editor for the Toronto Star newspaper.

"It had no odor, no taste... It wasn't oily, which was exactly what we were looking for."

A beaming Harold Ceifert, executive director for Oklahoma City Water and Wastewater Utilities Southwest Section, said "love and care" were the key to the city's victory.

"We operate two water treatment plants and it's a continuous competition between operators at both plants to produce the best tasting water they can," he said.