05/07/2026
'Bragging rights': Belgrade raises toast to best tasting tap water in Montana.
The City of Belgrade is taking a victory lap for its utility services after being crowned the "Best Tasting Tap Water" in Montana.
The city’s water out-sipped competition in a blind taste test during last week’s annual joint conference of Montana’s leading water associations in Butte, where judges evaluated samples based on clarity, odor and aftertaste.
“We have a bit of a lighthearted rivalry with Bozeman and some of the bigger cities in the state,” Uljua said. “It’s kind of bragging rights.”
Unlike Bozeman, Belgrade does not rely on surface water, which is more susceptible to pollutants and requires chlorination. Belgrade’s water is stored in the Gallatin Valley aquifer and comes from snowpack.
“We’re really benefiting from the way the Gallatin Valley aquifer works,” Uljua said. “The water is mostly derived from snowpack and has to filter through all those layers of rock, which produces a natural cleaning benefit.”
This natural filtration process, Uljua said, can create mineral build up in the water, which is harsh on skin, hair, and household appliances. But it makes it so that Belgrade’s tap water can come straight from the city’s nine wells without the addition of chlorine.
“It’s clean and safe as it comes out of the ground,” Uljua said. “We suspect (the minerals) are what gives it the flavor profile.”
For Uljua, the water quality is never taken for granted. She grew up in northeastern Montana, where the water came from wells surrounded by iron-rich soil.
“You turned on the tap and it smelled a little like eggs,” Uljua said. “Looking back on that, we’re pretty fortunate to have access in western Montana to high-quality water sources.”
While the competition comes with plenty of friendly ribbing between cities, Uljua said the conference is ultimately about bringing together water resource professionals from across Montana to share ideas and improve public systems statewide.
Read the story: https://tinyurl.com/muhxusb5
