The 36th Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting gave out awards to waters from four continents. Five continents total had waters among the over 100 entries.
The Municipal Water Category saw a U.S. sweep, including three previous gold medal winners.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana took home their first Gold Medal. Silver medal was won by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, adding to their previous three Golds and three Silvers. Two-time gold medalist Eldorado, Colorado won Bronze. California continued the streak with fourth place winner, Santa Ana, Calif. that has previously won two Gold, two Silver and a Bronze. Brand new entry Lloyd W. Michael Water Treatment Plant, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. took fifth. 
“The consistency in winners from year to year with different panels of judges validates the choices,” remarked watermaster, Arthur von Wiesenberger. “It also speaks to the impressively high caliber of the waters entered.”
The top 5 Bottled Non-Carbonated Waters came from four continents, with Gold going to Babinda Springs, Babinda, Queensland, Australia, a previous Bronze Medal winner. One point behind, Jano Spring Water, Village Blanchard, NB, Canada won Silver, followed one point behind by Bronze winner Puritas Spring Water, Barkly East, South Africa. Previous Gold Medalist Wilderness Mountain, Bland, Virginia, won 4th. 5th place was a tie between multi medalist Grand Springs, Alton, Virginia and first time entry San Graziano Mineral Water, Mariano Comense (Como) Italy.
Over a dozen entrants in the 2026 contest sported a medal decorated label.
Ten media judges spent hours tasting and selecting from waters sourced in seventeen states, two Canadian provinces and fourteen foreign countries.
“There were municipal entries from Canada, and states from California to Florida. The total of countries over the life of the event is 63, including, new this year, waters from Tibet, South Africa, Hungary and Vietnam.” said Jill Klein Rone, event producer.
The Gold Medal in the Sparkling Water category went to San Graziano Water, Mariano Comense, Italy, a first-time entry.
Adobe Mountain, Sacramento, Calif. took home Silver, and multi medalist Theoni Carbonated Natural Mineral Water, Karditsa, Greece, won Bronze. 4th place was a tie between Azuga Sparkling Water, Prahova, Romania and Wilderness Mountain Smooth Sparkling, Bland, Virginia, last year’s Gold Medal winner. Smeraldina Sparkling Artesian Water, Sardinia, Italy, a multi-medal winner in the Non-Carbonated category placed for the first time in the Sparkling Water category, coming in 5th.
The Gold Medal for purified water went to Aquae A.M.O.R.E. from Costa Mesa, Calif., entering for their first time. Multi-medalist Le Sage Natural Water, Lesage, W.Va. took Silver. Norland Pure Premium Enhanced Water, Lincoln, Nebraska, added another Bronze to their collection.
von Wiesenberger praised the selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George McGraw, founder and CEO of DigDeep. McGraw is a leading expert on water and sanitation access, with a focus on the United States.
The packaging category had 15 entrants competing for most alluring. The faceted aqua bottle from PERIDOT Naturally Alkaline Super-Premium Low-Deuterium Ice Age Mineral Water, Pusztazamor, Hungary won Gold. Cedar Mountain, Tioga County, Penn. took home Silver with their frosted 750ml bottle, and Bronze with their 375ml clear bottle. 4th went to previous Gold medalist Wilderness Mountain Water from Bland, Virginia with their aluminum can featuring a wooly mammoth. 5th was the slender fluted bottle from previous winner Adobe Mountain, Sacramento, Calif.
The 37th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 2027.