Is Tap Water Safe? Understanding Water Quality in South East Queensland

By George Millas, Plumbing Supervisor – Fallon Solutions

Yes. Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast tap water is treated and regularly tested to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Seqwater conducts almost 400,000 water quality tests each year across the region.

But safe drinking water doesn’t necessarily mean the water coming from every tap will always taste, smell or behave exactly the same. As plumbers, we regularly speak with South East Queensland homeowners who have noticed a chlorine smell, an earthy taste, white marks around taps or sediment in their water and want to know:

“What’s actually in my tap water?” Here’s what South East Queensland homeowners should know about their water quality.

What is in South East Queensland tap water?

SEQ tap water contains naturally occurring minerals as well as substances used during the water treatment and disinfection process.

Seqwater treats bulk drinking water before it enters the South East Queensland Water Grid, while local water service providers distribute that water to homes and businesses. Water quality is tested for a range of health and aesthetic parameters including microorganisms, chlorine, fluoride, metals, minerals, pH, hardness and treatment by-products. Because South East Queensland operates an interconnected water grid, the source supplying an area can also change depending on operational requirements. That means the characteristics of the water reaching your property can vary slightly from time to time.

Why does tap water sometimes taste or smell like chlorine?

A chlorine-like taste or smell can occur because chlorine and chloramine are used to disinfect drinking water and protect it as it travels through the water network.

Chlorine is used during the treatment process, while chloramine helps maintain disinfection as treated water moves through the SEQ Water Grid towards homes and businesses. Water providers also advise that customers may occasionally notice chlorine more strongly when the amount used changes for operational reasons. From a plumbing perspective, smelling or tasting some chlorine doesn’t automatically indicate there is a problem with your water. However, some people are more sensitive to the taste and smell than others, which is one reason homeowners sometimes look at drinking-water or whole-home filtration.

Is SEQ water hard?

Water hardness varies across South East Queensland and is caused mainly by naturally occurring calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water.

For homeowners, hardness is usually more noticeable because of what it can leave behind rather than because of the water itself. Common signs associated with mineral-rich or harder water can include:

• White or chalky residue around taps
• Scale on shower screens
• Mineral deposits inside kettles
• Water spotting on glassware and fixtures
• Soap and detergent not lathering as easily

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines use an aesthetic guideline value of 200 mg/L, measured as calcium carbonate, for total hardness. (www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/news-centre/updated-australian-drinking-water-guidelines)

Water hardness is therefore an important distinction when people start researching filtration. A standard water filter and a water softening or hardness-treatment system are not necessarily the same thing. The right solution depends on what you’re actually trying to change about the water in your home.

Is SEQ tap water is safe, why install a water filter?

Home water filtration is generally about improving the water experience rather than making unsafe SEQ water safe.

That’s an important distinction. South East Queensland already has a highly monitored drinking-water supply. But homeowners may still want greater control over characteristics such as:

• Chlorine taste and smell
• Sediment and fine particles
• Unwanted tastes and odours
• The water used for drinking and cooking
• The water supplied throughout the whole home

The type of filtration required depends entirely on what the homeowner wants to achieve. For example, someone who simply wants better-tasting drinking water may only require filtration at the kitchen sink. Another homeowner may want water filtered before it reaches their kitchen, bathrooms, showers, laundry and appliances. That’s where a whole-home water filtration system can be considered.

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