Engineering Manual | Sugar Grove, IL

The Village of Sugar Grove has officially taken second place in the prestigious "Best of the Best" Tap Water Taste Test at the American Water Works Association (AWWA) ACE26 conference in Washington, D.C. The national runner-up finish establishes Sugar Grove as home to some of the highest quality, best-tasting drinking water in North America. The top spot went to the City of Fredericton, New Brunswick, while third place was awarded to Vineyard, Utah “We are incredibly proud of our Public Works Team and thankful for the Leadership of our Public Works Director, Brad Merkel”, said Village of Sugar Grove President Sue Stillwell. “We value providing Sugar Grove with the best possible water, protecting our water resources, and we are all celebrating their win for the community as the stewards of the Best Tasting Water in the United States!” The Journey to the National Stage Sugar Grove's path to the national podium required winning a series of consecutive regional and state tournaments: The Regional Qualifier: First, the Sugar Grove Public Works team won the Kane County Water Association regional taste test. The State Championship: The team advanced to the Illinois Section AWWA State Finals at WATERCON 2026 in Peoria. On April 14, 2026, Sugar Grove was crowned the state champion, earning the sole right to represent Illinois nationally. The National Finals: The village competed against elite water producers from across the United States and Canada at the ACE26 conference in Washington, D.C. Rigorous Standards of Excellence A panel of independent water experts judged the competition using strict blind-taste protocols. Samples were evaluated at room temperature across three major categories: Taste: Overall flavor and crisp drinkability profile. Clarity: Total visual transparency and absence of turbidity. Odor: The absolute lack of any organic or chemical scent. To even qualify for entry, Sugar Grove had to maintain a pristine safety record, with zero state or federal drinking water violations during the previous calendar year.