What's in Our Water? Understanding Tap Water Contaminants

Clean water is so fundamental to health that most of us take it completely for granted. If your tap runs clear and smells fine, you assume it is safe. And for the most part in Australia, it is. But what safe means in public health terms is defined by regulatory thresholds, not by zero presence of contaminants. Understanding what is actually in your water, and what that means for your body and your skin, is worth a bit of time.

Chlorine and chloramine

Chlorine is added to municipal water supplies as a disinfectant, and it does an important job of killing pathogens. The concern is not the chlorine doing its job in the water supply; it is the residual chlorine that makes it to your tap. When you shower in chlorinated water, it can strip the skin's natural oil barrier and disrupt the skin microbiome, particularly in people with sensitive or dry skin. If you have ever noticed your skin feels drier after a holiday somewhere with stronger water chlorination, this is likely why. Chloramine, now used by many water utilities as a more stable alternative, can be even harder on skin and hair with regular exposure.

Heavy metals

Lead, copper, and other heavy metals can enter the water supply through old or corroded pipes. In cities and towns with older infrastructure, lead exposure from pipes is a genuine concern, particularly in rental or heritage properties. If you live in an older property and have concerns, a home water test kit can give you a baseline reading.

Fluoride

Most Australian states fluoridate their drinking water to levels considered safe and effective for dental health. The majority of public health organisations support water fluoridation at regulated levels. If you have specific concerns about your cumulative fluoride exposure, particularly if you are also using fluoride toothpaste and dental treatments, a water filter that removes fluoride is an option worth researching.

Microplastics

Microplastics have now been detected in tap water worldwide, and in Australian tap water specifically. The long-term health effects of microplastic ingestion are still being studied, but their presence in drinking water is now well-established. Filtering your water is the most practical current mitigation.

Pharmaceutical residues

Low-level traces of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, hormones, and painkillers have been detected in treated water supplies. These enter water systems through human and animal excretion and are difficult to fully remove through standard water treatment processes. The concentrations detected are generally well below levels considered harmful, but their cumulative effect is still being researched.

What you can do

Australian water is treated to a high standard and is safe to drink. But if you want to reduce your exposure to residual chlorine, heavy metals, microplastics, and pharmaceutical traces, a good water filter does meaningful work. A quality pitcher filter using activated carbon removes chlorine, some heavy metals, and microplastics. Under-sink reverse osmosis systems are more thorough but also more expensive. A shower filter specifically designed to remove chlorine is a simple addition that many people with reactive or dry skin notice an improvement from fairly quickly.

For your skin, what you drink matters as much as what you apply. Staying well hydrated with clean water directly affects your skin's moisture retention, texture, and glow. Dehydration shows up on the face quickly: dull colour, more visible fine lines, and that slightly flat texture that no serum fully corrects. Drinking well is always the first step.