Us Northern Californians can really take pride in our wonderful water. I swear it tastes better than bottled water, even that fancy SmartWater. NorCal tap water is delicious enough to drink straight from the faucet, and on a hot August day, my San Ramonian friends and I will drink straight from the hose.

Imagine my surprise when I found out there is an international water-tasting contest, and there was not a single Northern California county in the top five for 2008. Now imagine my utter disgust when I learned that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California took the top spot! They’re telling me that Los Angeles water is the most heavenly of all waters in the world? Do these people even have taste buds? Have they ever gulped the glorious water the East Bay Municipal Utility District –East Bay Mud to those in the know – pumps out?

Judges used taste, odor, “mouth feel” and aftertaste to judge the waters. They also checked things out to make sure there was nothing floating in their tall drink of water. To be fair to the judges, the Southern California water tied with that of the Clearbrook Waterworks District in British Columbia, Canada. I have never tasted British Columbia water, but Canada is filled with mountains, and that must be where good water comes from[[,]] because Crystal Geyser[[ok]] and Arrowhead[[ok]] always talk about how their water comes from the mountains and how that rocks.

I suppose this is good news, though. This means we can all quit buying flats of Kirkland water bottles and start drinking from the tap, because Santa Barbara’s water sure is more savory than Los Angeles’. This means less plastic wasted and no fake plastic fish!