How poor is my water? 4 quick tests you can do at home!

Does your water need filtering? The short answer is YES, but if you’ve grown up on Australian tap water and have trained your tongue to ignore the taste of chlorine, you may be missing some of your water’s subtler quirks. 

For instance, the permissible concentration of chlorine in drinking water is set at 5 milligrams per liter. In contrast, the recommended quantity for disinfecting a swimming pool ranges from just 2 to 4 milligrams of chlorine per liter.

Water is a common aspect of our daily lives, and its attributes are frequently overlooked. Here are five simple tests you can perform at home to assess whether your water is as pure as you believe or if you might gain advantages from a water filtration system. 

Check the kettle 

While boiling water effectively neutralizes bacteria, it doesn't eliminate physical particles. In fact, it may intensify their cluster. As the water evaporates, sediments and solid particles for example heavy metals/dirt are retained, accumulating at the bottom of the kettle. 

Look for groupings of calcification, pattern build ups of limescale against the walls and more importantly the bottom of the kettle. 

Check the taps 

Check your taps for limescale build up, check moving aspects of the tap and look for rust brown looking stains that can occur on joint sections of taps. This can vary among areas, suburbs and states depending on mineral levels and water quality. 

Check the shower 

Further signs to look for in the shower would be limescale on ground and wall surfaces, looking at your shower head if limescale has built up. Checking in between tiles or grout lines for discoloration and further limescale (build up of calcium). 

Check with a simple tablet 

Water supplied by state providers undergoes treatment with chlorine to neutralize bacteria and prevent waterborne diseases. This process sanitizes the raw water and adds a layer of protection as it traverses various lengthy pipe networks. 

In some states, ammonia is added to create chloramine, a more resilient chlorine compound with a prolonged dissipation period. Chloramine is particularly effective for treating water covering long distances, ensuring higher disinfectant concentrations later in the water's journey compared to using chlorine alone. It also possesses a less distinct taste and odour, making it less noticeable when consumed or used for showering.

For any assistance with any testing of your water we can arrange a free water quality assessment and test.