KIMBERLY - Want tasty water? Head to Kimberly.

The Idaho Rural Water Association named Kimberly's drinking water the second best in Idaho earlier this month, and most of the credit should go to Rob Wright, the city's public works director, say his peers. He was also named administrator of the year by the association devoted to rural water treatment.

Wright, who's been with the city for 21 years, has spearheaded projects over his tenure that have made Kimberly's water system one of the most technologically advanced in the valley.

"Yeah, we're up on technology," Wright said.

He's not kidding. The entire city's drinking water system is computer-operated. Wright can deploy a robotic camera that tunnels through a pipe to find a leak. Most of the system Wright controls by the touch of a button on his laptop computer.

He's lobbied for millions of dollars in upgrades over the past 10 years, including a $1.5 million water-improvement project in 2001 and a million dollar sewer upgrade about three years ago.

The result is water that's cleaner than water in communities 10 times the size of Kimberly - a town of about 2,700.

"Rob has been doing a great job making sure water quality meets all the standards," said Chad Chorne, regional drinking water program coordinator with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.

Kimberly skirts arsenic and nitrate problems common in surrounding towns.

Most credit Wright and his aggressive approach.

"They're very proactive in getting things done, I'll say that," said Brian Reed, an engineer with DEQ.

Kimberly Mayor Jim Sorensen said he can sleep soundly knowing Wright's on water watch.

"Being recognized by his peers says everything about Rob," the mayor said. "But his is one department I don't worry about much."

Most in Kimberly will drink to that.

Times-News staff writer Matt Christensen covers the environment. He welcomes comments at 735-3243 and at matt.christensen@lee.net.