Baltimore water has landed in the Top 10 among American cities with the best drinking water, according to Best Life Magazine online.  The magazine gives Baltimore a clean water score of 90.58.  This ranking is higher than similar cities including Philadelphia, Orlando, and New Orleans. No mid-Atlantic or Northeastern cities ranked higher.

The magazine researched data and ranked the 25 cities in America (out of the 200 biggest) with the cleanest and best tasting drinking water, “Better than anything you can buy at the store,” according to the website.

To make the list, cities had to have water that tastes good and has low levels of contaminants.  Data was pulled from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Working Group, and the American Water Works Association.

Baltimore residents know that good public health begins with the basics, including clean, healthy water. In May, for the second year in a row, Baltimore won first place in its division in the annual taste test held by the Chesapeake Section of the American Water Works Association, an association of water industry experts and leaders.  The taste test competition is held each year during National Drinking Water Week.

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) provides drinking water to 1.8 million customers in the metropolitan area. The water is held in three reservoirs – Liberty, Prettyboy, and Loch Raven – located in Baltimore and Carroll counties.

DPW filters the water in three plants – Ashburton on the west side, and two Montebello plants on the east side – producing as much as 360 million gallons of drinking water each day.

Each Spring DPW releases its annual Water Quality Report, which shows citizens how well we are doing.  Baltimore water exceeds federal health and safety standards.

DPW is investing hundreds of millions of dollars each year to upgrade its water system. In addition to replacing or rehabilitating at least 15 miles of water mains each year, Baltimore is continuing the process of building massive, underground tanks to more safely store its finished drinking water. Work began last year to install buried tanks at the site of the Guilford Reservoir, and construction is underway to build tanks in what is now the western end of Druid Lake.

Other awards captured by DPW include the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance and earning designation as a “Utility of the Future,” an award that celebrates the exceptional performance of the nation’s wastewater utilities.