RICHMOND -- Many residents of Richmond have long appreciated their great-tasting water, Richmond Utilities District Superintendent Mike Broadbent said, but now they have bragging rights statewide, at least in one category.

The water that serves the district's more than 550 homes, businesses and government installations was judged to be the best-tasting untreated sample in the Maine Rural Water Association's 20th Annual Drinking Water Taste Test.

"It's great. It means we have the best-tasting water in the state in the non-disinfected division," Broadbent said. "It's a great compliment to the district and great for the community."

The Richmond Utilities District has competed over the years, though not for the past several, and has never won before, Broadbent said.

The district superintendent said he did not go to any extraordinary lengths to collect the winning sample.

"I just grabbed a mason jar and filled it up in the sink right here in the office," Broadbent said. "I was really surprised. I went to a couple of classes the day before but I wasn't even at the conference when they had the contest. I was not thinking about it at all. But it was kind of a nice surprise."

Richmond won in the association's "non-disinfected division," which includes water samples that are not treated to ward off bacteria with chemicals such as chlorine, association officials said.

"If you don't have any problem with your water, you don't have to disinfect," Broadbent explained.

The Four Winds Homeowners' Association in South Thomaston won in the "disinfected division."

"In a taste-off between the two winners, Four Winds received the prestigious award of Maine's best-tasting water," said the association's Steve Levy. "Their water will represent Maine in the Great American Water Taste Test next April at National Rural Water Association's Rural Water Rally in Washington, D.C."

Water from 28 communities in Maine was judged on taste, clarity and aroma, Levy said.

Broadbent says his water customers tell him frequently how good their water tastes and veteran district employees tell him to appreciate how good the water is that comes from the agency's wells across the Kennebec River in Dresden.

The Richmond Utilities District's customers are all in Richmond except for about a dozen homes just over the town line in Bowdoinham, district officials said.

"We maintain our system so everything tastes good," Broadbent said. "We have a lot of new pipe in the ground and do a lot of preventive maintenance so we're able to provide pretty good-tasting waters."

Gary Remal -- 621-5642

gremal@centralmaine.com