Mar. 2—The best-tasting water in Butler County, arguably, has for years been found in Hamilton.

It’s a source of pride for the county seat as it’s consistently earned top marks in the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition, earning Best Municipal Water world titles in 2010 and 2015, and Best in the United States titles in 2009, 2014 and 2018. In 2022, the city placed fifth.

The city had podium finishes for the competitions for Best Purified Water, including a second-place finish in 2022, third-place honors in 2016 and 2020, and a fifth-place in 2018.

The city has bottled that water, which they’ve shipped out to disaster areas, and The Hamiltonian even made t-shirts boasting that “Our water is better than yours.”

Hamilton may not be able to say that about Fairfield, soon. At least that’s Fairfield Public Utility Director Adam Sackenheim’s belief.

Over a 12-day pilot test run in December and January, with Ohio EPA approval, Fairfield switched how it disinfected its drinking water. They tested the concept that liquid sodium hypochlorite was better than the chlorine gas currently being used. The chemistry and quality, Sackenheim said, were consistent from the plant to the far reaches of the city’s system.

Water drinkers levied no complaints about odor, appearance, and most importantly, taste.

“We have engineered and designed plans to switch from pressurized gas cylinders to liquid sodium hypochlorite,” he said. “We have plans developed, we have the Ohio EPA reviewing those plans.”

The conversion will cost about $1.5 million, and once installed, he plans, with city council approval, to submit the city’s water to the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Competition.

“This is what Hamilton likes to hang their hat on,” Sackenheim said. “I do think we will have a chance at that competition.”

Fairfield and Hamilton, along with several communities in the region, use the same source water: the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, an underground reservoir some 250 feet below ground that stretches from Logan County to the Ohio River.

But the treatment of the water is what makes it taste different, as there are several ways to do that. Hamilton’s award-winning water is treated with chlorine dioxide, a gas.

Would Fairfield would bottle its water, as Hamilton does? Sackenheim said, with a smile, that decision is “to be determined.”