KINGDOM CITY - Kingdom City residents have the finest water system in rural Missouri, according to the Missouri Rural Water Association.
The MRWA gave Kingdom City the 2016 Best Water System of the Year Award. Cities are ranked after association officials methodically survey and study the overall state of water systems of nominated cities.
Kingdom City City Manager Curt Warfield said the award recognizing its water system was given earlier this year.
"People say we have the best tasting water out here, but that's not what it was. It was 'Missouri Rural Water Association Drinking Water System of the Year,'" he said. "This is their (MRWA) 50th anniversary. It was cool to win on the 50th."
When Warfield starting working for Kingdom City 12 years ago, the city's water system was in rough shape. He and co-worker Kevin Wilkerson began improvement efforts.
"It wasn't to the highest standards when we got here," he said. "We got into a program with a utility service company. Now, our water tower is more than 100 percent compliant with the Department of Natural Resources. We want to be ahead of the curve."
The importance of effectively bringing clean water to the city is huge, Warfield said.
"We want to make sure residents, the school and travelers have clean water," he said. "We feel like it's our responsibility to provide the best, highest-quality water possible."
With the number of cities in the running every year, Warfield said it is going to be difficult to defend the title, especially against the cities of Cassville and Odessa, which each have populations 30 times larger than Kingdom City.
"I don't know if we'll be able to defend our title too many times," he said. "We beat them on our own merit."
Wilkerson, who is the city's wastewater operator and maintenance manager, said the recognition will hopefully result in tourists and businesses visiting and relocating to Kingdom City.
"It's something that comes rarely, but it shows businesses that there is more to it than turning on the water," he added. "It's nice to get our name out there and draw more people to the town."
Wilkerson added he and Warfield didn't make a concentrated effort to win the award.
"We were doing our job, and because we did our job correctly, we won," he said.