Syracuse, N.Y. -- The town of Rotterdam in Schenectady County has the best-tasting tap water in the state, according to an annual non-scientific competition held at the State Fair.

The village of Remsen in Oneida County was the runner-up.

"Having great tasting tap water encourages the healthy habit of consuming water," Dr. Howard A. Zucker, the state's acting health commissioner, said in a prepared statement. "That is good for the person drinking it, for their wallet, for their health and for the environment."

The results were announced today at the final round of the competition at the State Fair. More than 200 fairgoers put their taste buds to the test to select the winner from five water systems that won regional contests. The finalists competing in the championship round were Canandaigua, Remsen, Malone, Rotterdam and White Plains.

The 28th annual contest was sponsored by the state Health Department under a cooperative agreement with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

You can contact health writer James T. Mulder at jmulder@syracuse.com or (315) 470-2245. Follow him on Twitter @JamesTMulder