By Steven Graeper, Rhody Water Association, For The Mountain Times
The Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU) held its 47th Annual Technical and Management Conference at Sunriver Resort in March. The conference proved successful for all attendees, especially Rhododendron Water Association. At the annual awards banquet Rhododendron Water Association was awarded with the Best Tasting Surface Water in the State of Oregon for 2025. Rhododendron Water Association also won the award in 2012 & 2014.
Crooked River Ranch won this year for Best Tasting Ground water and Best Tasting Overall. The overall winner competes nationally at the National Association of Water Utilities annual conference held in Washington DC later in the year.
Rhododendron has been blessed with excellent tasting surface water. This was proven again this year by an unbiased independent judging panel who, in a double-blind taste test of submitted samples, judged the samples on clarity, bouquet, and taste in both the Ground Water and Surface Water categories.
Steve Graeper, president of RWA, was proud to accept the award saying, “I am proud as heck to have our water association receive such a great award. It is quite an honor to know we have the best tasting surface water in the state. It couldn’t be done if it weren’t for the efforts of Water
Master David Jacob and the Rhododendron Water Association Board of Directors.”
The award will be presented to the Association membership at their May annual meeting.
The first water lines serving Rhododendron were installed in the early 1900s and the source water comes from the Henry Creek Watershed, which the Association has strived to protect over the past several years.
Rhododendron Water Association has been a member of the Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU) since January 1994 and was presented with a plaque commemorating its 30- year membership at last year’s conference.
OAWU is a non-profit organization with over 700 members and serves Oregon’s water and wastewater utilities with education, hands-on training, and technical services. The association serves as a legislative liaison and is active in supporting legislation that improves the utilities that serve Oregon’s residents. For more information about OAWU, visit their website at www.oawu.net or contact the office at 503-837-1212.