ANAHEIM, CA (June 13, 2007) - Coming on the heels of the Anaheim Ducks’ Stanley Cup championship, the City of Anaheim now hopes to also bring home the title of “Best Tasting City Water in America.”

At the U.S. Conference of Mayors headquarters earlier this month in Washington, D.C., Anaheim was one of five cities selected for their achievement in providing great-tasting, quality water to America’s citizens. A celebrity panel of judges conducted a blind test of tap water submitted from 93 cities during the first round of the 2007 City Water Taste Test. Water was judged on taste, clarity and aroma.

Anaheim will be joined by Colorado Springs, CO; Long Beach, CA; St. Louis, MO; and Toledo, OH, in the final competition at the 75th Annual Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles on June 22-26. At that meeting, hundreds of mayors from around the nation will be the blind taste test judges. The winning city will receive a cash award of $15,000 and bragging rights to the “Best Tasting City Water in America.”

“To be a finalist in this competition is testimony to Anaheim Public Utilities’ commitment of delivering high-quality and good-tasting water to Anaheim residents and businesses,” said Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle. “Our water utility has been doing just that for more than 125 years.”

“Our cities are world leaders in providing high-quality water to protect public health, for public safety and fire protection,” according to Tom Cochran, executive director of the Conference of Mayors. “While we reward the efforts by cities, this water taste event is also a call for the federal government to partner with us to help cities improve deteriorating infrastructure.”

 Earlier this year, Anaheim’s tap water was ranked the cleanest in Southern California in a Men’s Health magazine study. The magazine examined the most recent data from 100 major U.S. cities from 1995 to 2005. Anaheim ranked 15th among all U.S. cities.

Anaheim’s water quality Web page is continually being updated with important information on a range of water quality issues. The most recent copy of Anaheim’s annual Water Quality Report may be accessed at www anaheim.net. Click on Public Utilities, then Focus on Water Quality under The Latest.