Global Brew Tap House in St. Charles was packed Thursday with about 100 people for the annual Kane County Water Association’s water tasting contest.

The far right side of the bar held mason jars and other bottles of water samples from each of nine participating municipalities: Sugar Grove, Huntley, Batavia, Geneva, South Elgin, Carpentersville, St. Charles, Montgomery and Aurora.

It might have looked like moonshine, but it was all water.

The three judges – Zach Jardine, public works superintendent for Warrenville; Gary Holm former public works superintendent for Batavia; and Dan Mann, retired water superintendent for South Elgin – didn’t know which was which when they sipped.

They would be scoring each for clarity, taste and odor.

Then the decision: Sugar Grove for first place, Batavia second, Aurora third.

“It’s about time,” said Chris Lemke, water and sewer foreman for Sugar Grove.

“We won it in 2020 and COVID stripped it from us,” Lemke said. “Happy to be back and winning.”

So what’s so good about Sugar Grove water?

“The staff that treats the water,” Lemke said. “It’s softened water. Ion exchange. Basically, it’s a humongous water softener.”

In short, Sugar Grove residents should have no need to buy bottled water – and they don’t need to buy water softener, either.

Batavia was happy to be in second place.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Max Runions, a laborer with the Batavia Water Department. “We take pride in what we give out to the public and we know we’re doing a good job.”

“Second place is good in this competition,” said Jeremy Barkei, assistant director of Batavia Public Works. “I think many don’t realize how much work we put into the treatment and production of water to get it to that tap. There’s many man-hours per gallon that it takes to get it there. ... We’re privileged to be in second place.”

Carlos Covarrubias, chairman of the water association, said the turnout for the tasting competition was the largest he’s seen.

“Our association’s goal is to educate our water operators and share information between communities,” Covarrubias said. “Not only is our membership base made up of our local communities in Kane County, their water treatment and distribution systems, but also engineering firms, different vendors that supply products ... to our water operators.”

While some might laugh at the idea of a water tasting contest, Covarrubias said it is important.

“Because of what we do as operators is provide safe drinking water. Our goal is almost a thankless job,” Covarrubias said.

“Here in the United States, we take water for granted,” Covarrubias said. “We have water flowing from our taps at an instant’s notice, where most of the world doesn’t even remotely come close to having not only safe drinking water whenever they need it but yet, on demand on the tap in their home.”

Covarrubias said as a nonprofit, the water association educates operators with ongoing changes to regulations, advances the industry as a whole and brings in new operators to replace those who will retire.

Toward that end, the water association also awarded two $1,500 scholarships for continuing education to Sugar Grove public works employee Ryland Ray and to Chloe Wilson, an environmental student.

As the winner, Sugar Grove will attend WATERCON, a conference for the American Water Works Association held in April in Peoria.