MISSOURI — Want to try the best-tasting water in the state of Missouri? Grab a cup and head to one city that the Missouri Rural Water Association has crowned with the honor.
According to the MRWA, a city in Lafayette County stood out against all others during the 2025 Show-Me Tap Water Roundup. The city of Waverly, Missouri, a little over an hour’s drive from Kansas City, was spotlighted as the best in the state for its water.
The roundup was held on April 23, as water samples were judged on three criteria, including clarity, bouquet, and taste. Clarity was based on whether the water sample was free of particles, debris, and discoloration.
Bouquet judging determined whether the water sample was odor-free and without smell. Taste was based on whether the sample had a “satisfying and palatable taste.”
The MRWA said the city of Waverly water system serves 860 customers through 355 service connections. The city was noted as “unique” as it purchases its water from a neighboring system, and once the water flows through the city’s point of service, there is no treatment or disinfection.
The city of Waverly will go on to compete in the National Rural Water Association Water Rally in Washington, D.C., come February 2026.