Why Filter Our Water?

Water is fundamental to life — it makes up over half of our body and supports nearly every essential function we rely on.
The quality of the water we drink, cook with, and bathe in directly affects our health and wellbeing.

While Australia’s water supply is generally considered safe, it can still contain a mix of unwanted substances picked up at different stages of its journey — from the catchment, through treatment, and all the way to your tap. Understanding how this happens helps explain why many people choose to use a water filter at home.

1. Contamination During the Catchment Process

Most of Australia’s drinking water begins as rain that collects in dams. During this journey, it can pick up natural and environmental contaminants such as:

Animal droppings, insects, and organic matter
Blue-green algae, bacteria, and viruses
Agricultural and urban chemical runoff

When water is stored in open catchments, these impurities are difficult to avoid. Even after treatment, traces can remain.

2. Additives from the Purification Process

To ensure water is microbiologically safe, treatment plants add disinfectants such as chlorine and chloramine. These chemicals are effective at killing bacteria but can leave behind taste and odour issues.
Fluoride is also added in most regions of Australia to support dental health — a practice that continues to be debated among consumers and researchers.

Reverse osmosis systems and other fine-filtration technologies are sometimes used in homes and laboratories when people wish to remove these additives for taste or sensitivity reasons.

3. Contaminants Picked Up During Delivery

After purification, water travels through hundreds of kilometres of ageing pipes — many made from copper, iron, or even asbestos-cement. Along the way, small amounts of these materials can dissolve into the supply.
Plastic plumbing can also release micro-particles over time, especially in hot water systems.

This gradual absorption of metals and particles explains why whole-house filtration or point-of-use filters (like under-sink systems) are becoming more common in Australian homes.

4. PFAS and Emerging Pollutants

In recent years, attention has turned to a group of persistent synthetic compounds known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals have been detected near some Australian defence bases and industrial sites, often linked to historical firefighting foam use on road ways.

PFAS can linger in soil and groundwater for decades and are resistant to traditional water-treatment methods. It has found itself to our water ways in the blue mountiains and has fully contaminated the soil and water table in a number of locations.

(Click here to learn more about PFAS contamination in Australia.)

The Takeaway

Australia’s water supply is safe by regulatory standards, but “safe” doesn’t always mean “free from everything.” From natural runoff to treatment additives and pipe corrosion, a wide range of substances can influence both the quality and taste of household water.

Using a home water-filtration system — whether a simple gravity unit, an under-sink cartridge, or a whole-house filter — is less about distrust and more about control. It allows you to choose the water quality that suits your needs, taste, and peace of mind.