WASHINGTON, D.C. – Forget swirling a full-bodied Cabernet or sniffing the notes of an oak-aged Chardonnay. In Ocean City, Maryland, the most discerning palates in the Mid-Atlantic gathered around clear glass tumblers filled with something far more essential: tap water.
And when the figurative blindfolds came off and the scorecards were tallied at the 2026 Chesapeake Tri-Association Conference (Tri-Con) Water Taste Test, the undisputed champion of the Surface Water division was none other than the Washington Aqueduct’s very own McMillan Water Treatment Plant.
Competing against heavy hitters from across Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, McMillan’s tap water took the top podium spot, proving that with the right blend of science, engineering, and craftsmanship, river water can rival bottled spring water any day of the week.
Anatomy of a sip
To the uninitiated, water is just…water. But to water professionals and sensory judges, tap water is a complex craft.
Entries at Tri-Con, hosted jointly by the Chesapeake Section of the American Water Works Association, the Water and Waste Operators Association, and the Chesapeake Water Environment Association, are evaluated with serious culinary rigor:
McMillan’s entry checked every single box, delivering a crisp, clean profile that stood out in a stacked filled of regional surface water suppliers.
Behind the tap
Behind every award-winning sip is a 24/7 operation running like clockwork.
The raw ingredient? The mighty Potomac River, scooped up miles upstream near Great Falls and Little Falls. Anyone who has seen the Potomac River after a heavy summer downpour knows it is dynamic, moody, and full of natural sediment.
Turning that wild river current into gold-medal tap water takes the industrial magic of the Washington Aqueduct, a historic federal utility operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District.
Inside McMillan’s century-old footprint in Washington, D.C., operators and chemists oversee a multi-barrier treatment gauntlet, from coagulation and flocculation to sedimentation, filtration, disinfection and conditioning.
“People often think great tap water happens automatically when you turn on the faucet,” said Nina Hallissy, Washington Aqueduct Plant Operations Branch chief. “In reality, it’s a 24-hour operation run by dedicated plant operators, scientists, engineers, and maintenance specialists who obsess over milligrams per liter and Nephelometric Turbidity Units so a million people can enjoy flawless water every morning. Winning this award is a wonderful tip of the hard hat to their craft.”
Next Stop? The National Stage
While McMillan, together with Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant, produces up to 135 million gallons of drinking water daily, this regional victory earns the Aqueduct a ticket to the big leagues.
Next stop? The national American Water Works Association Annual Conference and Exposition, where McMillan will throw its tumbler into the ring for the “Best of the Best” Water Taste Test, going head-to-head with regional champions from coast to coast.
“We take huge pride in delivering water that doesn’t just meet and exceed EPA water standards, but genuinely tastes fantastic,” said Michael Robinson, McMillan Treatment Plant superintendent. “We’re thrilled to bring this regional title home to D.C. and look forward to showing the rest of the country what Potomac perfection tastes like.”
So the next time you twist your kitchen faucet or fill a reusable bottle at the Smithsonian museum, raise a glass. You’re sipping an award-winning vintage.