On Monday, the Village of Park Forest secured fourth place in the "Best Tasting Water" competition at Illinois WATERCON in Peoria.

According to its website, WATERCON is Illinois' Total Water Conference, which gathers utilities, industry suppliers, consultants, manufacturers, and regulators to exchange information through exhibits, educational sessions, and networking events.

WATERCON chose the Village to participate in the competition after the South Suburban Water Works Association awarded it "Best Tasting Water in the South Suburbs." This marks the eighth time in 15 years that the Village has received this honor.

Park Forest Public Works Director Roderick Ysaguirre and Chief Water Plant Operator Wendy Schafer represented the Village at the multi-day conference. Seven contestants participated, and their water was judged based on taste, appearance, and aroma.

A panel judged the participants using a point system, with a perfect score being 120 points. In the end, the Village scored a total of 90 points, which placed Park Forest in fourth place. 

The City of Paris, located about 200 miles south of Chicago in east-central Illinois, narrowly won the competition with a score of 103 points. North Park Water, which serves Machesney Park and Roscoe, finished in second place with 102 points, followed by the Town of Normal with 99 points. Other participants in the competition included St. Charles, Northbrook, and Collinsville.

The winner will advance to compete at the American Water Works Association's (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) in Denver, Colorado, from June 8 to June 11.

Although not securing the top spot, Ysaguirre and Schafer expressed pride in the Village's water being recognized as one of the best, ranking in the top four across the entire state.