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Berkeley Springs International Water
Tasting Press Information

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CONTENTS:

• Press Release: 2008 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting
• Press Release: Water Seminar
• Press Release: 2008 Competition Results

BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

• Water is everywhere, covering 3/4 of the planet's surface.

• 97% of the Earth's water is salt water and over 2% is polluted or part of the ice cap, leaving less than 2% available for human use.

• Water cleanses, comforts and heals.

• An indispensable nutrient, it makes up most of human body weight.

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focusing on the computer screen and/or on a printed page.

• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

• 84% of Americans feel the pollution of water is a major problem.

• United Nations' International Decade for Action, Water for Life ~ Celebrated in Berkeley Springs February 22 -25, 2007.

EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ February 12, 2008
Travel Berkeley Springs - Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Press Contact: Jill Klein Rone ~ 304-258-3302
PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV -- The award-winning 18th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting welcomes bottled and municipal waters from around the world on Saturday, February 23. Held at The Country Inn in the historic spa town in West Virginia, it is the largest and longest running water tasting competition in the world.

Tasting of municipal waters, followed by purified drinking water, begins at 2:30pm. Bottled waters, both still and sparkling, are tasted at 6:30pm. Winners in all categories are announced at a public awards reception at 8pm.

Entries come from all over the United States including California, Florida and Alaska and from as far away as New Zealand, Iceland and Romania. "The impact of winning this event is extraordinary," said Jeanne Mozier, an event founder. "Over the years, at least 20 bottled winners have redesigned their labels to showcase the medal they won here. Springs have been bought and sold on the basis of their standing with the judges and municipal water companies have found themselves on national television or facing irate local politicians depending on the outcome."

A distinguished panel of media judges determine the official winners, but there is a role for the public. All day Saturday, they taste water along with the judges. Most importantly, the public votes for the People's Choice award for best packaging. "How the product looks has become ever more important as the bottled water industry continues to grow," said Mozier. "There are now more than 600 brands of bottled water."

Mozier admits the event is a little tame. "The real excitement for the audience comes at the conclusion," she explains. "Once the awards are presented, we stage the now world-famous 'water rush' where folks scramble to take home some of the hundreds of bottles of water that have been used for display." The "water rush" was highlighted by cable television's Games Across America.

Watermaster Arthur von Wiesenberger, noted expert and author from Santa Barbara, CA, trains the media judges and directs the challenge of evaluating a product where tastelessness is the most sought after quality. The unique event, dubbed the "granddaddy of water tastings," by von Wiesenberger, is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs. It is free and open to the public.

Handcrafted fused-glass slump bowls created by Amingo Glass of Hedgesville, WV are presented as awards in the municipal, bottled and still water categories as well as for purified drinking water and best packaging design. "These gorgeous bowls are our version of the Academy Awards' Oscar," said Mozier. "We could call them 'Arthurs' after our watermaster."

Judges for the 2008 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting include freelance journalists and representatives from Water Innovation Magazine in Bath, England, Atlantic and Pittsburgh Magazines, WV Executive and Southern Fried Magazine. "We are really pleased to have someone from the original Bath come to our little town of Bath," (the official name for Berkeley Springs) said Mozier. "Berkeley Springs has always been about the water. That's why George Washington and his friends named the town after the famous English spa."

To address various issues related to water, the event includes a seminar on Friday afternoon from 1 - 5pm. "Water: Our Legacy," featured speakers include Joe Hankins, Vice President of The Conservation Fund based in Arlington, Va., and the Director of The Freshwater Institute, a field office and program of The Fund; J. Scott Shipe, with the American Water Works Association, Russell Carolla, President of Virginia Water Conditioning Corporation and Nayl D’Souza, Editor of Water Innovation Magazine in Bath, England. Moderating the seminar is watermaster von Wiesenberger.

The water tasting weekend begins on Thursday, February 21, with preliminary tastings at The Country Inn. Special events and activities continue everywhere in Morgan County through Sunday, February 24.

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is the centerpiece event of the award-winning Winter Festival of the Waters which features three months of special activities, sales, and accommodation packages. For more information and a free calendar of events, call Travel Berkeley Springs -- 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning Website -- www.berkeleysprings.com.

WATER SEMINAR BEGINS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – ---- "Water: Our Legacy," FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- February 12, 2008
Travel Berkeley Springs - Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Press Contact: Jill Klein Rone 304-258-3302

SUPPLY & DEMAND, PROBLEMS & PROTECTION ~
WATER SEMINAR BEGINS BERKELEY SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL WATER TASTING

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV – ---- "Water: Our Legacy," kicks off the 18th Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting on Friday, February 22. The free afternoon seminar brings together the public and members of the municipal and bottled water industries from 1 to 5pm to discuss pressing regional, national and global issues with four water experts. The seminar, and Saturday's tastings, are held at The Country Inn adjacent to the famed warm mineral waters in downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Representing the American Water Works Association, J. Scott Shipe will discuss America’s projected drinking water infrastructure needs for the twenty-first century.
Shipe has been a superintendent of a large multi-jurisdiction utility and consults with water utilities, assessing their needs. He is also an advocate for the industry and has met with Senate and House members discussing many issues including the 2007 Farm Bill, Investing in Infrastructure, MTBE, Chemical Security Act and Lead in our Drinking Water.

Joe Hankins is President of The Conservation Fund, based in Arlington, VA, and is the Director of The Freshwater Institute, a field office and program of The Fund. He will speak about water and the interconnections of supply sustainability, land use, energy and climate change.

Water problems and solutions is the topic of Virginia Water Conditioning Corporation’s President, Russell Carolla. His talk will focus on residential well water, and will also touch on the topic of municipal filtration for homes. While municipalities generally have qualified operators to handle any water issues that may come up, the homeowner on well water is left to wander the minefield of products available, without a reliable source to determine their true needs. Source protection (the well) and backflow prevention will be discussed.

Coming all the way from the town of Bath, England is Nayl D’Souza, Editor of Water Innovation Magazine. Nayl’s topic is “Saving the planet, saving lives,” a look at how the global bottled water industry is saving water, energy, packaging and people. D’Souza will also serve as a judge.

Host of the seminar is Arthur von Wiesenberger, international water expert, noted author and the longtime water master of the Berkeley Springs event. According to von Wiesenberger, "In 2006 Americans bought more bottled water than beer for the first time.” Three years earlier, bottled water became second only to carbonated soft drinks as the world's most consumed beverage.

The two-day 18th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting with more than 100 competing waters from all over the world is held at The Country Inn on Friday and Saturday, February 22 and 23 and is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs. All events are free and open to the public. Special activities and sales are offered countywide beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday.

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is centerpiece of the award winning Winter Festival of the Waters, featuring three months of special activities, sales, and accommodation packages. For a free calendar of events call 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning www.berkeleysprings.com.

For bios of seminar speakers and more information on their topics of discussion visit www.berkeleysprings.com/water
~ TBS ~

For a complete list of winners, since the beginning in 1991,
and a list of 2008 participants please visit www.berkeleysprings.com/water

2008 Award Winners

Municipal Water  
Gold: TIE... Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Clearbrook Waterworks, British Columbia, Canada
Silver: TIE... Desert Hot Springs, CA
Village of Montrose, British Columbia, Canada
Bronze: Rutland, Vermont
4th -- Independence, Missouri
5th -- Montpelier, Ohio

Non-Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Tumai Water, Martinsburg, WV
Silver: Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Eldorado Springs, CO
Bronze: Prairie Crystal Canadian Pure Spring Water, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada
4th -- 83ppm Natural Spring Water, Village Blanchard, New Brunswick, Canada
5th -- Almost Heaven, Berkeley Springs, WV

Purified Drinking Water
Gold: Great Blue, Federalsburg, MD
Silver: Clear Creek Water Company, Farmington, NM
Bronze: Tie: Blue Moon Water, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Saskatchewan Clear, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
4th -- Element H2O, Chantilly, VA
5th --The Original Cherokee Great Smoky Mountain Drinking Water, Cherokee, NC

Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Salvus Mineralwasser Medium, Emsdetten, Deutschland
Silver: Zema Voda, Tesanj, Bosnia
Bronze: Waiwera Artesian Water, Waiwera Infinity Thermal Spa Resort, Auckland, New Zealand
4th --Tie: Tesanjski Dijamant, Tesanj, Bosnia
Seltzer Water, Pittsburgh, PA
5th- - Canadian Gold, Marchand, Manitoba, Canada

The People's Choice for Package Design
Gold: Mist Premium Spring Water of Vanleer, TN based in Atlanta, GA
Silver: Aquadeco, Gold Mountain, Ontario, Canada based in New York, NY
Bronze: Tumai Water, Martinsburg, WV
4th -- Daytona Beach, FL
5th -- Mountain Valley Vintage Glass, Hot Springs, AR.

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is centerpiece of the award winning Winter Festival of the Waters, featuring three months of special activities, sales, and accommodation packages. For a free calendar of events call 800-447-8797 or check the award-winning www.berkeleysprings.com.

For bios of seminar speakers and more information on their topics of discussion visit www.berkeleysprings.com/water