What is In Your Tap Water?

If you’ve ever wondered whether the water from your tap is truly safe to drink, you’re not alone.

While Australia is known for its high water standards, many factors, including your location and the age of your home, can influence the safety and quality of your drinking water. Whether you live in a metro area or a rural zone, it’s crucial to know what’s in your water and how to make sure it’s safe for you and your family.

What is in the Tap Water in Australia?

Australia prouds itself on its best standards in food and in overall health related activities. Australian tap water must meet strict Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, but the quality can vary greatly depending on where you live. Here are some of the most common contaminants found in drinking water across the country:

Chlorine and Chloramine

Chlorine and chloramine are commonly used as disinfectants in municipal water systems to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses, ensuring that water is safe to drink. However, both of these chemicals come with their downsides. Chlorine can leave a noticeable taste and odor in the water, while chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, is even more persistent and harder to remove. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals, especially for those with sensitive skin, can lead to irritation, dry skin, and even allergic reactions.

The Whole House Wellness Water Filter is designed to target chlorine and chloramine effectively by using a multi-stage filtration process. Here's how it works:

1. Carbon Filtration Stage: The Wellness system uses advanced activated carbon filtration. This type of carbon has a large surface area, allowing it to adsorb chlorine and chloramine molecules efficiently. During this stage, water flows through the activated carbon, where the chlorine and chloramine molecules are trapped, significantly reducing their concentration.
2. KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) Media: This specialized filter media is highly effective at removing chlorine and chloramine. The KDF filter works by using a redox (oxidation-reduction) reaction, which breaks down harmful chemicals into harmless components. It not only removes chlorine and chloramine but also tackles heavy metals like lead and mercury, enhancing the overall water quality.
3. Silver Impregnated Carbon: This additional layer of protection further inhibits bacterial growth within the filter itself. Chloramine is particularly difficult to remove because it is more stable than chlorine. The silver-impregnated carbon in the filter helps to break down these persistent chemicals, ensuring that they don’t reach your tap.
4. Wellness Revitalization: After filtration, the water passes through a revitalization stage, where beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium are reintroduced. This not only improves the taste of the water but also helps balance pH levels, making the water healthier and more refreshing for consumption.

The result? By the time the water reaches your faucets, it is free of harmful disinfectants and heavy metals, leaving you with clean, safe, and great-tasting water. With the Wellness Whole House Filter , you and your family can enjoy chemical-free water for drinking, cooking, and bathing, reducing exposure to potential irritants.  

Lead

Lead is a serious health concern, particularly in older homes with aging plumbing systems. Lead pipes, which are still found in some properties, can leach into drinking water and cause developmental problems in children, as well as reproductive issues in adults ( Living Whole ). If you live in an older house, you should consider installing a filtration system like the Ultra Violet Whole House System to eliminate heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses.

ES5Q Wellness Whole House + ES3 Reverse Osmosis Filtration System

Fluoride

How Aging Pipes Affect Water Quality?

If your home was built before the 1980s, there’s a good chance that your plumbing system could contain lead or other harmful materials. Over time, older pipes can corrode and release harmful metals into your drinking water. Even if your water appears clear, these invisible contaminants could be affecting your health. Lead exposure is particularly dangerous for young children and pregnant women, as it can lead to developmental delays and other health issues. If you’re concerned about the condition of your pipes, a whole house filtration system can be a life-saving investment. A product like the Whole House Wellness Water Filter will filter out harmful contaminants before they ever reach your faucet.

Tap Water in Different Parts of Australia

The quality of your tap water can vary dramatically depending on your location:

• Urban Areas: Major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane use sophisticated water treatment systems, but even these systems can’t remove all contaminants Chemicals like chlorine, chloramine, and fluoride are added during treatment and may linger in your drinking water.
• Rural Areas: If you live in a rural area, you may rely on water from wells, tanks, or even rainwater (Better Health Channel). While rainwater may seem pure, it can be contaminated by bird droppings, dust, or chemicals from nearby farms. Groundwater from wells can also contain harmful chemicals like arsenic, nitrates, and bacteria ( Better Health Channel).  Great Water Filters offers systems that can make these water sources safe for drinking, such as the Ultra Violet Whole House System, which kills bacteria and viruses effectively.
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The Risks of Drinking Untreated Water

In both rural and urban areas, untreated or inadequately treated water can lead to serious health risks. Contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal issues, skin irritations, and in severe cases, neurological disorders. Harmful microorganisms like Cryptosporidium and Giardia are often found in water that hasn’t been properly treated, particularly in rural areas( Better Health Channel ). These parasites are resistant to chlorine and require advanced filtration methods to be eliminated. 

Rainwater collection tank and concrete tank

How Can Great Water Filters Help?

Fortunately, Great Water Filters has a range of solutions to ensure that the water you and your family consume is pure, clean, and safe. Here’s how our products can help:

• Whole House Wellness Water Filter: This system ensures that every tap in your house delivers safe, filtered water by removing chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, and other harmful substances.
• ES3 Reverse Osmosis Water Filter: Ideal for under-sink installation, this system eliminates fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals, and other contaminants while preserving essential minerals.
• Ultra Violet Whole House System: A powerful option for rural homes relying on bore or tank water, this system kills bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms.

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