And the blue ribbon for best tap water in Minnesota goes to…

On the first day of the Minnesota State Fair, glass jugs filled with tap water lined a folding table in a quiet corner of the otherwise packed Eco Experience building. 

Representatives from 22 cities across the state — from St. Peter to St. Cloud — crowded around the table to pour the water into blue and gray cups and pass them to fair attendees who happened across the event: a tap water tasting contest. 

Sampling two at a time, attendees picked their favorite until the samples (which were numbered rather than named to ensure anonymity) were whittled down to 10, then four, then a final two. After a momentous last tasting, the crowd favorite was revealed: New Brighton. Their prize? A glass trophy in the shape of a water droplet, and most importantly, bragging rights for the rest of the year that they have Minnesota’s tastiest water.

While totally subjective and definitely not scientific, the contest is meant to educate Minnesotans about their tap water. 

“Tap water sometimes has this bad reputation,” said Kevin Wright, community engagement manager for the city of Chaska. “But tap water is typically held at higher standards for cleanliness, for taste, for safety of drinking.”

Public water systems are regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act, which mandates that operators meet minimum drinking water standards for contaminants like nitrate, lead, cryptosporidium and other dangerous bacteria and chemicals that can harm humans. 

Related: Minnesota drinking water safety: free nitrate water testing for private well owners

Ninety-nine percent of all Minnesota public water systems are in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to the state’s 2025 drinking water report. This is far higher than the national compliance rate, which sits around 90%, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. 

The contest has been held at the State Fair since 2012 and is hosted by the Minnesota branch of the American Water Works Association, a national group of water utilities providers. They theorize that people generally vote on their favorite water depending on which type of water they are used to drinking: surface or groundwater. 

(Editor’s note: The American Water Works Association is a sponsor of MinnPost’s drinking water reporting, but funders have no input on editorial decisions. See more about our funders and ethics policy here.)

“The taste can kind of depend on different minerals that are in the water that can impact taste,” Wright said. “It’s all healthy and safe to drink, but it’s always fun to see that people actually do have a preference.”

About 75% of Minnesotans rely on groundwater while the other 25% rely on surface water. This year’s winner – New Brighton – uses groundwater, which is put through three treatment processes to remove contaminants and naturally occurring iron and manganese to improve taste and odor. New Brighton water officials were not at the State Fair to accept their trophy, but they will be presented it at an upcoming city council meeting.

Related: With funding set to dry up, Minneapolis faces tough choices on lead pipe removal

For the 21 other competing water utilities, the contest allowed them to prove why their tap water is, in fact, safe to drink — even when it’s not the tastiest. 

“We are required to make sure our water is safe,” said Stew Thornley, a retired Department of Health employee from their drinking water division. He emceed the event, sharing water trivia along the way (did you know Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world?) 

“[Tap water] can taste bad, look bad, and still be safe to drink,” Thornley said. 

The Minnesota State Fair continues through Labor Day. The University of Minnesota will host a water bar in the Ag-Horticulture building on Friday, September 4 where attendees can taste water samples from municipal and rural sources, and ground and surface water. 

Claire Carlson is a Report for America corps member, covering drinking water for MinnPost and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.

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