What’s Actually in Your Tap Water?

One of the most fundamental things I talk about with families in my clinic is clean drinking water using water filtration systems.

Here’s the thing: Australian tap water is generally considered microbiologically safe. You’re not going to get a waterborne illness from it in most cases. But “safe” and “optimal” are two different things.

Tap water can still contain a range of substances that may place additional burden on your body over time, particularly if you’re sensitive, if you have kids, or if you’re dealing with chronic health issues.

Understanding what’s in your water—and whether filtering makes sense for your family—is part of creating a genuine health foundation.

What Actually Affects Your Water Quality?

Water quality varies depending on several factors:

• The age of your home and plumbing
• Local groundwater conditions
• Agricultural and industrial contamination in your area
• The water treatment methods used locally
• Storage tanks and pipes in your water system

For families in Perth and surrounding areas, especially those relying on groundwater systems in the northern suburbs, understanding your local water situation is worth thinking about.

Many families find that filtering drinking water is a practical way to reduce unnecessary chemical and heavy metal exposure without needing to overthink it.

Common Contaminants Found in Drinking Water

Let me walk you through the main contaminants you might encounter in Australian tap water and what they actually do.

Chlorine

Chlorine is added to municipal water supplies to kill bacteria and reduce infectious disease risk. It’s genuinely effective at sanitation and has been a public health win for preventing waterborne illness.

But chlorine does have effects beyond killing bacteria. It can:

• Alter the taste and smell of water
• Irritate sensitive skin
• Contribute to dryness of skin and hair
• React with organic matter in water to form by-products like trihalomethanes (THMs)
• Reduce beneficial bacteria in your microbiome

Many people report improvements in skin irritation, eczema, or digestive sensitivity after reducing their chlorine exposure. If you notice your skin feels better or your eczema improves after starting to drink filtered water, that’s not coincidental – chlorine sensitivity is real.

Fluoride

Fluoride is added to public water supplies specifically for dental health. The logic makes sense: fluoride supports tooth enamel and reduces cavities.

But here’s where it gets complicated. The amount of fluoride a person consumes can vary enormously depending on:

• How much water you drink
• How much tea you drink (tea contains fluoride)
• Whether children are swallowing toothpaste
• How much processed food and beverages you consume (many are made with fluoridated water)

This means some individuals end up consuming substantially more fluoride than intended, particularly families with young children.

Excess fluoride exposure has been associated in some research with dental fluorosis (cosmetic tooth staining), skeletal fluorosis at high exposures, thyroid disruption in susceptible individuals, and altered neurodevelopment in some observational studies.

This remains an area of scientific debate. Many people choose to filter fluoride as a precautionary measure. If you’re concerned about fluoride intake, using a fluoridated toothpaste will still provide dental protection even if your drinking water isn’t fluoridated.

Heavy Metals from Plumbing and Water Sources

This is where water quality gets really relevant to individual homes rather than just municipal supply.

Copper

Copper pipes are commonly used in Australian homes. Small amounts of copper are essential for health, but excess copper exposure can occur when:

• Water sits in pipes
• Pipes corrode
• Water acidity increases copper leaching

Excess copper can contribute to an imbalance between copper and zinc. A poor zinc-to-copper balance may be associated with lowered immune function, skin issues, poor wound healing, mood and behavioural concerns, irritability, reduced stress tolerance, and impaired attention and concentration.

Children may be particularly sensitive to mineral imbalances from tap water exposure.

Lead

Older homes, particularly those built before the 1970s, may still contain lead solder, old plumbing materials, or brass fixtures containing lead.

Lead exposure is especially problematic in children, during pregnancy, and in anyone with developing nervous systems. Lead accumulation has been linked with behavioural and learning difficulties, lowered IQ, attention problems, developmental delay, fatigue, and headaches.

There is no truly “safe” level of lead exposure for children. If your home is older, checking your water for lead is genuinely worth doing.

Groundwater Contamination

Many homes in Perth’s northern suburbs rely on groundwater systems rather than municipal supplies. Groundwater may contain contaminants from agricultural runoff, pesticides and herbicides, industrial pollution, fertilisers, heavy metals, and something called PFAS or PFOAs (often called “forever chemicals”).

These contaminants can enter water systems over time as they accumulate in soil and groundwater.

PFAS/PFOAs: The “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS chemicals are used in non-stick cookware, firefighting foams, stain-resistant products, and industrial manufacturing. The problem is that these chemicals are extremely persistent in the environment and can accumulate in your body.

Research has linked elevated PFAS exposure with potential effects on thyroid function, immune health, cholesterol metabolism, hormone regulation, and liver health.

PFAS contamination has been detected in drinking water supplies worldwide, including parts of Australia. If you live in an area with industrial activity or near an airport (they use PFAS-containing firefighting foam), this is particularly relevant.

Pesticides and Herbicides

Agricultural chemicals may contaminate groundwater and water supplies through runoff and environmental persistence. Long-term exposure to certain pesticides and herbicides has been associated in research with endocrine disruption, neurological effects, immune dysregulation, oxidative stress, and altered gut microbiome function.

Children are generally more vulnerable due to their smaller body size and developing systems.

How Different Filters Actually Work

Not all water filters are created equal. They remove different things, and understanding the difference helps you make the right choice for your situation.

Basic Jug Filters

Basic jug filters may improve taste and reduce some chlorine, but they do not effectively remove fluoride, PFAS, heavy metals, pesticides, or dissolved contaminants. They’re better than nothing, but they’re limited in what they can actually filter out.

Reverse Osmosis: The Gold Standard

Reverse osmosis filtration removes a much broader range of contaminants. An RO system works by forcing water through an ultra-fine membrane that removes extremely small particles and dissolved substances.

Reverse osmosis removes:

• Fluoride
• Lead
• Copper
• Chlorine
• PFAS/PFOAs
• Pesticides
• Herbicides
• Microplastics
• Many dissolved chemicals and heavy metals

For this reason, reverse osmosis is often considered one of the most comprehensive filtration options available. If you’re serious about filtering your water, RO is where the evidence points.

Important Considerations with Reverse Osmosis

There’s one thing worth knowing about reverse osmosis: it removes all minerals from water. Because of this, adequate dietary mineral intake becomes important.

Some people prefer adding trace minerals to their filtered water to supplement their diet. If you feel your dietary mineral intake is inadequate, speaking to me about a good quality multivitamin can help fill any gaps.

The key is that good hydration and a nutrient-dense diet are essential to health. Filtering your water is part of reducing unnecessary burden on your body but it’s not the whole picture.

Practical Tips to Reduce Your Water Contaminant Exposure

You don’t need to make this complicated. Here are practical steps that actually make a difference:

• Use filtered water for drinking and cooking
• Flush taps briefly in the morning before use (water sitting in pipes overnight accumulates more contaminants)
• Avoid drinking hot water directly from the tap (heat can increase metal leaching from pipes)
• Store filtered water in glass where possible rather than plastic
• Replace filters according to manufacturer instructions (they need replacing regularly to stay effective)
• Consider whole-house filtration if you’re sensitive to chlorine exposure on your skin, but understand that this only filters to the mains and doesn’t filter contaminants from inside your home’s water pipes, so drinking water filtration is still necessary

The Practical Reality

Clean drinking water is genuinely one of the foundations of health. It’s not glamorous or expensive-sounding, but it matters.

Australian tap water is safe. That’s worth knowing. But filtering can reduce unnecessary contaminants that your body has to process, particularly if you’re sensitive, if you have children, if you’re dealing with chronic health issues, or if you live in an area with known groundwater contamination.

For many families, a reverse osmosis filter is a straightforward investment that reduces chemical and heavy metal exposure without requiring major lifestyle changes.

Whether you filter or not, being aware of what’s potentially in your water helps you make informed decisions about your family’s health.

Want to Optimise Your Family’s Water and Health?

If you’re wondering whether water filtration makes sense for your situation, or if you want to explore other health foundations that support your family’s wellbeing, I’m here to help.

As a naturopath, I work with families to identify practical changes that genuinely improve health. Clean water is just one piece, there are others worth exploring too.