Yes, tap water in Australia is generally safe to drink.
We do NOT recommend using hot water from any tap for either direct consumption or food or beverage preparation. This is because hot water can dissolve contaminants more quickly than cold water and hot water systems (tanks, boilers, pipes, etc.)
There is no need to filter your drinking water. In Melbourne, clean, affordable water is readily available to our homes and businesses whenever we need it. It's essential to our way of life and it tastes great straight from the tap.
We rigorously test and monitor the water we source as it makes its way to you from rivers, lakes and dams to our reservoirs and filtration plants, all the way to your tap. The result is some of the best drinking water in the world.
Can you drink tap water in Australia? The short answer to this question is yes. Tap water in Australia is considered safe to drink by health professionals.
Your bathroom tap water is perfectly fine to brush your teeth and to wash up. As long as you're not swallowing the water, you're unlikely to get lead poisoning. Just be extra aware of small children – when they are brushing their teeth, remind them to spit.
Is kitchen and bathroom water the same when it comes to drinking? Yes and no! The safety of bathroom water for drinking depends on the quality of your water pipes and the location of your storage tank. If you want to drink water from your bathroom sink, it's good to have your water system assessed.
Most domestic storage hot water heaters in Australia are installed to store water at or above temperatures of 65°C. Under the Australian Standard AS/NZS 3500.4, heated water must be stored at a minimum temperature of 60°C, to inhibit the growth of Legionella bacteria.
Finland's tap water is among the greatest on the planet, and not is it totally safe, but also a joy to drink. In Finland, tap water has been viewed as essentially cleaner than filtered water. You can drink regular water all over the country.
Across Australia each city and state is different. Sydney's water is considered 'soft' with a hardness level of about 50mg/L while in Hobart, it is barely above 10 mg/L. Brisbane and Adelaide have some of the hardest water where it reaches nearly 100 mg/L.
An electric storage hot water system works by sending cold water into a storage tank, where one or two elements are located to heat the water. Once the water is at the correct temperature, it rises to the top and travels to the relevant hot tap when it is needed.
In some cases, if your water is neutral tasting, you may not need to filter tap water before using it for tea. However, for best results, always filter your tap water (especially if it's hard water).
Risk of Chemical Contamination
Lead and zinc (commonly found in water pipes) are more soluble in hot water than in cold water. So when you run hot water through the pipes, lead and zinc are much more likely to leach into the water coming out of the faucet.
If you have no hot water from the taps, the most likely culprit is often a leaking water heater. A water heater leak can contribute directly to a lack of hot water in your home. Some leaks are more obvious than others, especially when you spot puddles near where the heater is located.
Melbourne officially has Australia's best tasting tap water | Melbourne Water.
Avoid using rainwater for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth, or rinsing or watering plants that you intend to eat. Instead, use municipal tap water if it is available, or purchase bottled water for these purposes.
The quality of drinking water in Australia is generally high, with 93% of households having access to clean, safe drinking water.
In Australia, plumbing regulations and laws state a maximum temperature of 50 degrees for each shower, basin or bath outlet to the home. This temperature is hot enough to mix with cold water for a comfortable warm shower, but not hot enough to cause a serious or even fatal injury.
Hot water should be stored at least at 60°C and distributed so that it reaches a temperature of 50°C (55°C in healthcare premises) within one minute at the outlets. Before assessing the risks associated with these systems, you need to understand the type of system, its constituent parts and operation.
Different recommendations on water temperature may confuse you a bit. But if you keep your hot water temperature at 120 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll be within an acceptable and safe range. You also need to provide scheduled monitoring of your faucet water to gauge its temperature.
So, essentially, hotel water is tap water that's gone through the local municipal water system. While tap water is considered potable, making it generally safe to drink, not all water sources are created equal.
More Bacteria Comes From Tap Water Than Flushing the Toilet, Study Shows. But the good news is that not all bacteria is bad. File this under one less thing we have to worry about: The amount of airborne bacteria that comes from a toilet flush pales in comparison to the microscopic stuff flowing in from the faucet.
Drinking your shower water is not a good idea. Hot shower water can contain bacteria and harmful chemicals, and if you drink this bacteria, it could make you sick. Even if you have a shower filter, you should avoid drinking shower water.
Some businesses are this way, with extensive systems to recycle “drinking” water over and over. But for the most part your tap water and shower water (which can get in your eyes and mouth), are all from the same, potable, source.