Winning ‘Best of the Best’ means more than a trophy to Henrico County

For Henrico Water, winning the 2025 Best of the Best Water Taste Test at the Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) in Denver meant more than a year-long celebration. It provided an opportunity for Henrico and the greater Richmond, Va., community to rebound and build the community’s trust after a neighboring utility experienced an interruption in service during a power outage.

“At a time when confidence was a little shaky in our region and everything that went on with that — to go from that into winning at ACE, it really changed the narrative of what we do and why it matters,” said Bentley Chan, director of the department of public utilities for Henrico County. “We were trying to be very, very careful not to be seen as bragging in light of this really horrific thing that happened. We just wanted to be mindful and respectful and focus on the people aspect, the people who made it happen.”

Residents in the region had been asked to boil their drinking water for five days, after a winter weather-related incident impacted water treatment operations in Richmond.

“I think from the standpoint of everybody being able to celebrate and be proud of an accomplishment, I think that that really brought us together,” Chan said. “It is a celebration of the public services — the essential services — that we provide in the community.”

Henrico beat 25 other contenders from across North America at the 2025 competition. Three judges scored each submission — comprising winners of AWWA Section competitions — on odor, flavor, and after-taste. “That trophy is very, very popular and has made its rounds from end to end of our county. Everybody is taking pictures with it,” Chan said.

Henrico Water proudly displays the trophy wherever they can — ribbon-cutting ceremonies, dedications, and even career fairs where it has drawn particular attention. “It makes kids stop,” said Alvin Christian, Jr., assistant director of the department of public utilities for Henrico County. “We display our treatment process, (drinking) water and wastewater through different vials on the table. It draws their interest and we’re able to talk about our [treatment] processes.”

The trophy was in such high demand, the utility made replicas, which are stowed at various locations throughout Henrico’s workspaces, allowing all members of the team the opportunity share in the pride of winning the taste test.

“We have immense appreciation and respect for all those in the industry that make something like this happen because it is not easy to make clean water,” Chan said.

The Best of the Best Water Taste Test will return to ACE this year. ACE26 takes place June 21-24 in Washington, D.C.