Canning some of the best tap water in North Carolina

When Raleigh Water first started thinking about a local partnership that would celebrate the city’s tap water, their first thought was beer. Other municipalities had done it, and Raleigh had its own vibrant brewery scene.

“My concern, though, was that beer overpowers any water taste,” said Ed Buchan, assistant director at Raleigh Water. “We’re very proud of our water.” (Raleigh has won the North Carolina Section’s tap water taste test competition, and it took third at AWWA’s Best of the Best at the Annual Conference and Exposition in 2023.)

He brainstormed ideas with the head brewer of Trophy Brewing, Les Stewart, who’s known for singing the praises of the city’s consistently high-quality tap water. (It makes it easier to produce brews, after all.) He suggested they try a flavored sparkling water — “that’s the best way to highlight the water,” Buchan recalled their conversation.

They first thought they’d try a nutty flavor —  a hat tip to their namesake as the City of Oaks — but ultimately decided to experiment with lemon.

During a taste test that included a plain sparkling water as the palette cleanser, the testers unanimously agreed — the palette cleanser was the best.

“We thought, ‘Why add anything?’” Buchan said.

And so it was born. Oak City Sparkle, a carbonated version of the city’s tap water, was canned — in aluminum, to be recycled — and has been available at community events this year. The light blue can features a graphic of the city’s skyline, including the capitol building, and more importantly, a QR code that takes consumers to a page to donate to the city’s customer assistance program.

“We’ve increased our donations dramatically,” Buchan said, nearly 70%. “It’s an awesome promotional tool to celebrate tap water, but it’s also free advertising, education, whatever you want it to be.”

Currently, the city distributes the sparkling water cans for free at community events but hopes to be able to sell them eventually at city venues and facilities — with all profits benefiting the customer assistance program.

“We’re always trying to find ways to support low- and fixed-income customers,” he said. “And sparkling water is a burgeoning market — any utility could be a part of this.”