MONTPELIER, Ohio — Montpelier, Ohio, a Williams County village with a population of nearly 4,000, can lay claim to having the best-tasting water in the world. 

Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting deemed Montpelier as having the best-tasting municipal water in a contest held last week in West Virginia consisting of entries from across the world. Montpelier beat out the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Mission Springs Water District, Desert Hot Springs, California, for the gold medal.

Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is an annual contest that judges various types of waters from across the world. 

Hamilton, Ohio finished fifth in the municipal water contest. The city won the contest in 2015, the last time an Ohio town won the category. 

The contest consisted of nine judges ruling on entries that came from across the U.S. and 19 countries. 

“There were entries from two new countries this year: St. Kitts and Nevis, and Indonesia. The total of countries over the life of the event is 59, including waters from Tasmania, Turkey, Bosnia, Greece, and Australia,” said Jill Klein Rone, event producer.

Hamilton On Tap in Butler County came in second for the best purified water in 2022

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