What’s In Your Tap?

Brisbane Water Report

Prepared for Homeowners in Brisbane, QLD

Understand what you’re drinking, showering in, and cooking with.

Overview

Brisbane’s drinking water is treated and generally safe by Australian standards—but “safe” doesn’t always mean “clean” or “healthy.”
Most tap water in Brisbane contains chlorine, fluoride, sediments, heavy metals, and microplastics, all of which can affect taste, odour, skin health, and long-term wellbeing.

Source of Brisbane Water

Supplied by Seqwater, Brisbane’s drinking water comes from:

The water travels through a long network of pipes, pumps, and treatment plants, picking up impurities along the way.

Main Contaminants Found in Brisbane Tap Water

Contaminant	What It Is	Why It’s a Concern
Chlorine	Used to disinfect water	Can cause dry skin, asthma-like symptoms, and unpleasant taste/smell
Fluoride	Added to prevent tooth decay	Controversial—linked to thyroid disruption and not easily filtered out
Sediments & Rust	Dirt, sand, rust from aging pipes	Can damage appliances and reduce water clarity
Heavy Metals	Traces of lead, copper from pipes	Long-term exposure may affect brain development and kidney function
Microplastics	Tiny plastic particles from pipes or environment	Impact on health not fully known but increasingly found in water supplies
PFAS (Forever Chemicals)	Not regularly tested at the tap in Brisbane	Linked to hormone disruption and cancer in long-term exposure

Common Signs Brisbane Homes May Need Filtration

Chlorine smell from the tap or during showers
Limescale build-up on taps, kettles, and glassware
Dry or itchy skin after showering
Discoloured water during or after rain events
Children in the home, pregnant women, or immune-compromised individuals

Filtration Recommendations for Brisbane Homes

Area of Home	Recommended Filter Type	Why
Whole House	Carbon + Sediment Combo System	Removes chlorine, rust, dirt across all taps
Drinking Water	Reverse Osmosis or Under-Sink Multi-Stage Filter	Removes fluoride, heavy metals, chlorine
Shower/Bath	Shower Filter with KDF + Carbon	Reduces chlorine exposure to skin/lungs