Water Filters Melbourne

What is the best water filter for Melbourne?

Straight answer is the best water filter differs for each individual case, however here is our quick guide to help you choose the best water filter for you and your family in Melbourne:
Melbourne water has a high sediment load, which means that you need a pre filter with sediment protection to stop your more expensive cartridge from blocking. Also always choose a water filtration system that is Watermark Approved, this means that it has been tested to Australian Standards 3497.
If you want to remove Fluoride from the water or have ultra high purity water then reverse osmosis is the best choice, always choose a system that is NSF 58 Certified.
If you are renting a countertop system would be the best option as it is portable and does not require a permanent connection.

Do I need to filter tap water?

NO in Australia the tap water goes through many stages of treatment before it reaches your home, however here our a few of our reasons why you should think about having a water filter installed in Melbourne:
The taste of the water is a big reason why people turn to buying bottled water which is a huge problem for the environment with so little plastic actually being recycled. The taste is due to the chemicals being added such as chlorine to disinfect the drinking water. Great news is that for less than a dollar a day you could have a USA Omnipure Filter installed at your home which will provide perfect drinking water guaranteed.
Disinfectant By Products are caused when chlorine comes into contact with organic compounds in the water pipeline are known carcinogens. An activated carbon point of use water filter will remove DBP’s and THM’s (trihalomethanes). Contaminated tap water causes 100,000 cancer cases in the US over a lifetime, according to a new study from scientists with the Environmental Working Group.
More Reasons to use a water filter in Melbourne are available in our Blog.

Why would we choose Clear Choice Water Filters?

We are 100% Australian owned, we provide a 100% no questions asked 30 day money back guarantee, we have been in business since 2011 and we take the time to talk with you about which solution is best and tailor make a water purification system especially to meet your requirements, give us a call today to find out how you could get the best water filter for you at the best possible price.
1300 001 752

What system produces the purest water?

Reverse Osmosis is the best undersink water filter if you require ultra high purity drinking water.

What are the “tricks” of the trade to look out for?

Unfortunately some companies either over inflate their product and along with a lot of marketing dollars over inflate the price of their water purifiers, whilst others offer low cost options that will not stand up to Australian conditions or water pressure. Fortunately there are a few things that you can do to sniff out the truth from the myriad of options on the market.
Trick # 1 STAGES a 3 stage water filter sounds better than a single stage right? Obvious choice would be to assume that you should go for a 3 or 5 or even 7 stage system as this must produce “better” water. Wrong – it is the quality of cartridge that counts, for example a single Aragon Water Filter will outperform a lot of 3 stage models on the market.
Solution Always ask what each stage is for and why it is needed, the reasons should be clear and plausible.
Trick # 2 PRICE yes you do get what you pay for and we believe that is true in all businesses however how do you know what a genuine price is? Do not be afraid to ask the retailer to outline what sets their system apart from another that is a fraction of the cost.
Solution Research and asking the right questions, here are a list of things to help you.
A water filter that is to be installed to the plumbing in Melbourne must be Watermark Approved and also come with a pressure limiting valve with back flow protection.
The cartridges used if making a claim to remove a contaminant such as lead should have certification from a body such as NSF (National Sanitation Foundation).
Where are the cartridges and housings made?
Can the cartridges be bought anywhere else and how long is the expected lifetime?
In the case of Reverse Osmosis is the membrane NSF 58 certified, what is the waste to pure water ratio and where are the parts sourced from?
Trick # 3 Installation a lot of companies use “service technicians” to install under sink systems, it is a legal requirement that an connection to the water mains is carried out by a licensed plumber.

Water Filters & Reverse Osmosis Melbourne

We’ve got a range of water filters and reverse osmosis systems for Melbourne residents and businesses to browse and buy. We believe that the use of either system can have a dramatic impact on your daily life, offering a host of benefits ranging from improved health through to better tasting cooking!

Clean, filtered water has an unmistakably different taste. We’re so confident you’ll love the difference that we even offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all reverse osmosis and water filter systems installed in Melbourne.

Choosing to get your system from Clear Choice Water Filters means you’ll be getting your filter from a reputable brand that takes pride on only offering the best quality filters available.

Browse our selection and get yours today from Clear Choice Water Filters. With free shipping available on all orders over $100, it really is a clear choice.

Worried about what is in Melbourne Water and want a water filtration system to remove fluoride or lead?

CALL 1300 001 752 for DETAILS

 

Melbourne Water

Fluoride

Since 1998 no fluoride has been added to the water supply coming from the Silvan Reservoir

The pumping and treatment station which has been servicing Kallista, Macclesfield, Menzies Creek, Monbulk, The Patch, Avonsleigh, Clematis, Cockatoo, Emerald and Gembrook since 1998 only provides chlorinated water.

This is about to change, by mid 2019 a new fluoride plant will begin to add fluoride to the water. The reason for adding fluoride to the water is to help prevent tooth decay however we can find no indication that children in the areas supplied by Silvan are any worse off than their counterparts in fluoridated areas of Melbourne.

Even though parts of Melbourne have been fluoridated for over 30 years we still have a huge issue with tooth decay in children which is more likely due to excessive hidden sugars in the food and drink that we consume.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-14/dentists-are-fed-up-with-doing-tooth-extractions-on-toddlers/9425958

There are many areas in Melbourne that remain fluoride free, to find out information on your suburb you can use the tools at this link:

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/water/water-fluoridation/water-fluoridation-in-victoria

It is also worth noting that Portland and Port Fairy have naturally occurring fluoride in the water in the form of calcium fluoride, the fluoride which is added to our drinking water is in the form of fluorosilic acid, sodium fluorosilicate, and sodium fluoride. Unlike the fluoride compounds found in toothpaste or supplements, fluoridation chemicals are not pharmaceutical grade quality. They are, instead, unpurified industrial by-products that are collected in the air pollution control systems of certain industries.

Lead

May 2018

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/05/17/16/02/geelong-drinking-fountains-shut-off-after-high-levels-of-lead-found

https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/news-and-events/healthalerts/concerns-about-lead-in-drinking-water-may-2018

A number of drinking fountains located in the Victorian city of Geelong have been turned off after high levels of lead were found.

Up to 40 fountains have been shut down after being found to contain more than the safe amount of lead, which is 0.01mh per litre.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-home-owner-discovers-lead-in-drinking-supply-20181227-p50oha.html

https://www.afr.com/lifestyle/health/mens-health/lead-in-the-water-health-hazards-lurk-in-many-fashionable-innercity-houses-20180312-h0xdnj

Lead in drinking water is a major issue which is widely being either ignored or swept under the carpet. The addition of ammonia to the water supply as a disinfectant has led to chloramines in the water supply. The major issue with chloramines particularly when mixed with fluoride, is the leaching of lead from water pipes, there have been several high profile cases in Washington DC and North Carolina where elevated concentrations of lead were found after the introduction of chloramines, lead is a silent killer and our children are most at risk who consume a lot more water than adults based on their body mass. Professor Stuart Khan Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales states that “lead exposure through drinking water may be much more significant than it was.”

Kahn is concerned with lead contamination in schools, particularly after the long summer break, where the water may have sat stagnating, with warm summer temperatures, in school plumbing systems.

“These are ideal conditions for lead to be leached from the pipes to the drinking water,” he says.

As many risks of lead exposure are greatest for children, he believes governments should mandate that all schools develop water quality management plans.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2100806-lead-in-australias-drinking-water-is-leaching-from-brass-taps/

Although the water is tested for lead as we see below at low levels, the real problem is not exposed until the water enters the home where it comes into contact with brass fittings or lead solder.

Typical analysis of Melbourne’s waters

Based on analyses between July 2011 and June 2016

Parameter / Source Units Cardinia Greenvale Silvan Winneke Tarago Yan Yean
pH units 7.2 – 7.7 7.2 – 8.8 7.0 – 7.7 7.0 – 7.5 6.7 – 7.5 7.3 – 9.4
Colour Pt/Co 7 6 13 20 51 13
Turbidity NTU 0.6 – 1.8 0.7 – 2.5 0.55 – 1.3 0.45 – 5.5 1.1 – 6.5 0.7 – 3.7
Specific Conductance uS/cm 45 – 57 59 – 81 38 – 52 74 – 120 100 – 120 170 – 260
Iron mg/L 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.16 0.52 0.13
Manganese mg/L 0.003 0.003 0.005 0.006 0.039 0.007
Fluoride mg/L 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8
Aluminium (Acid Soluble) mg/L 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.3 0.04 0.02
Arsenic mg/L <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005
Boron mg/l <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05
Bromide mg/l <0.05 <0.05
Cadmium mg/L <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005
Calcium mg/L 4.4 4.3 3.8 2.3 13.7 8.1
Chloride mg/L 7.1 9.4 6.9 16.8 22.3 21.5
Chromium mg/L <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005
Copper mg/L <0.001 0.02 0.16 <0.001 <0.001 0.01
Cyanide mg/L <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005
Haloacetic acids

 

 – Chloroacetic acid

mg/L <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005
 – Dichloroacetic acid mg/L 0.007 0.004 0.03 0.008 0.008 0.001
 – Trichloroacetic acid mg/L 0.007 0.005 0.02 0.007 0.007 0.006
Hardness mg/L 16 17 14.25 45 18 31
Lead mg/L <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002
Magnesium mg/L 1.4 1.6 1.2 2.6 2.6 2.6
Mercury mg/L <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001 <0.0001
Nickel mg/L <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002
Nitrate (N) mg/L 7.4 0.13 0.23 0.38 0.32 0.05
Potassium mg/L 0.7 0.8 0.7 1.4 2.3 1.4
Selenium mg/L <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002
Silica as SIO2 mg/L 4.5 5.4 5.9 3.7 8.4 2.2
Sodium mg/L 4.7 5.6 4.5 10 13 10.9
Sulphate mg/L 0.4 0.7 <2 11.3 16 13.25
Total Alkalinity (as CaC03) mg/L 11.6 11.2 9.3 9.4 15.3 12.5
Total Organic Carbon mg/L 2.2 2.0 2.1 3.2 5.4 6.4
Total Phosphorus mg/L 0.007 0.007 0.007 0.008 0.004 0.009
Total Dissolved Solids mg/L 39 42 34 20 69 82
Total Trihalomethanes mg/L 0.032 0.018 0.022 <0.001 <0.001 0.046
Zinc mg/L <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01

Date issued: July 2016

Nominal values rounded to nearest decimal point

A common question that we are asked regarding reverse osmosis water is does it remove all the minerals from the water? The short answer is yes, however take a look at the magnesium levels in the table above:

The recommended dietary intake (RDI) of magnesium is:

  • 400 mg/day for men aged 19-30 years, increasing to 420 mg/day for those aged 31 and above.
  • For women aged 19-30 years, the RDI is 310 mg/day, increasing to 320 mg from the age of 31 onwards.
  • Depending on their age, the RDI for adult women who are pregnant is 350-360 mg/day.
  • The RDI for breastfeeding for those who are breastfeeding is 310-320 mg of magnesium each day.

At the highest level the water in Melbourne contains 2.6 mg/l of magnesium, although everything counts, drinking tap water is not going to add a huge amount to your daily intake of minerals. If there are still concerns about drinking the water produced by reverse osmosis then a remineraliser can be added as an additional stage.

Trihalomethanes

 

Levels in Water

It is difficult to determine safe and toxic levels of haloacetic acid in water for human consumption because it is consumed in varying amounts over a long period of time, says the University of Minnesota. The amount of haloacetic acid in drinking water in the United States ranges from 0.0053 to 0.016 milligrams per liter. The Environmental Protection Agency standards for haloacetic acid in water are 0.06 milligrams per liter.

Cancer Risk

The Environmental Protection Agency has classified the acid as a Group 2B cancer classification, which means it may cause cancer in humans. However, this classification is based on studies performed on animals, and the evidence to support its carcinogenicity in humans is limited. Experiments on mice exposed to varying levels of haloacetic acid showed an increase in the development of liver tumors and liver cancer.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/550043-side-effects-of-drinking-water-with-high-haloacetic-acids/

Sediment

 

One other important consideration before installing a water filter in Melbourne, is the amount of sediment in the water compared to other capitals such as Sydney, Brisbane or Canberra. Generally speaking the water filter will block much more quickly in Melbourne due to high sediment loads, therefore it is necessary to ensure that a sediment filter is used before any finer carbon filters or reverse osmosis membranes.

For further information or help with selecting the correct water filter for you and your family in Melbourne, please call one of our water filtration experts today

1300 001 752