What is in Brisbane's tap water, and which filter fixes what
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Quoss Universal chlorine shower filter
Vitamin C is the only common shower media that handles chloramine.
$128 at Bunnings, checked 9 Nov 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn't change which product is here.
Brisbane's water is chloraminated and fluoridated, which changes which filters work. What Seqwater puts in it, what it means for showers and taste, and what to buy.
Our picks at a glance
| Product | Shower: chloramineQuoss Universal chlorine shower filter $128 at Bunnings | KitchenPhilips FastFlow AUT9333/79 under-sink filter with tap $299 at Bunnings | FluoridePhilips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser $499 at Bunnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge | — | — | — |
| Install | — | Licensed plumber, with its own filter tap | Plumbed, licensed plumber |
| Why it's here | Vitamin C is the only common shower media that handles chloramine. | WaterMark-listed and certified for chlorine and PFAS; chloramine isn't on its listing, so ask Philips about it. | WaterMark-listed reverse osmosis, so a licensed plumber can fit it. RO is the only common home method that removes fluoride. |
| Watch out for | A Special Order at Bunnings, not a shelf item | Replacement cartridge price not published in Australia when we checked (22 Oct 2026) | A tank system, so it fills the cupboard and sends water to the drain like any tank RO |
| Buy | Today's price on Amazon$128 at Bunnings (Special Order) | Today's price on Amazon$299 at Bunnings | Today's price on Amazon$499 at Bunnings |
Vitamin C is the only common shower media that handles chloramine.
Vitamin C is the only common shower media that handles chloramine.
Watch out: A Special Order at Bunnings, not a shelf item
$128 at Bunnings, checked 9 Nov 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
WaterMark-listed and certified for chlorine and PFAS; chloramine isn't on its listing, so ask Philips about it.
WaterMark-listed and certified for chlorine and PFAS; chloramine isn't on its listing, so ask…
Watch out: Replacement cartridge price not published in Australia when we checked (22 Oct 2026)
- Install: Licensed plumber, with its own filter tap
$299 at Bunnings, checked 22 Oct 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
WaterMark-listed reverse osmosis, so a licensed plumber can fit it. RO is the only common home method that removes fluoride.
WaterMark-listed reverse osmosis, so a licensed plumber can fit it.
Watch out: A tank system, so it fills the cupboard and sends water to the drain like any tank RO
- Install: Plumbed, licensed plumber
$499 at Bunnings, checked 9 Nov 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
How we picked: We picked these 3 from the water filters sold in Australia, judged on cartridge, install and price, using maker specs, Australian retailer prices and owner reports. We haven't tested them hands-on yet, and maker claims are labelled as theirs. Commission never puts a worse product ahead of a better one, but between equal products or shops, one that pays us can go first. Full method.
Brisbane’s water comes through the South East Queensland Water Grid: a network of dams, four treatment plants and a desalination plant, run by Seqwater, delivered by Urban Utilities. It meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. What is in it is decided by that network’s length.
The three things that matter
Chloramine, not chlorine. Because the grid moves water over a hundred kilometres, Seqwater uses chloramine as the disinfectant that stays in the water to the tap in Brisbane and its neighbours (Ipswich, Logan and Moreton Bay). The Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are on the same grid but their networks are chlorinated, so this page is for Brisbane and the three neighbours. Chloramine has less smell than chlorine but is much harder to filter. Standard carbon jugs and KDF shower filters remove only a fraction of it in the seconds water spends passing through. Catalytic carbon (drinking water) and vitamin C (showers) are the media that work.
Fluoride. Added across the grid. Only reverse osmosis removes it at home.
Hardness. Moderate, varying with the blend of dam and desalinated water. Kettles scale slowly; it is rarely the reason Brisbane people buy a filter.
What to buy in Brisbane
- Taste and chloramine at the kitchen tap: an under-sink unit with catalytic carbon. Ask the seller specifically about chloramine; standard carbon cartridges are the default and are the wrong ones here. The Philips FastFlow is WaterMark-listed; ask Philips whether its carbon handles chloramine before you rely on it for that.
- Shower: the Quoss vitamin C filter. The Philips KDF unit we recommend elsewhere is the wrong choice in Brisbane.
- Fluoride: a WaterMark-listed reverse osmosis system such as the Philips 75 GPD station. The cheapest online kits (Geekpure, iSpring) aren’t on the WaterMark register, so a licensed plumber can’t install them.
- Your own water: test your own tap water with hardness strips or a TDS meter before you buy. The test kit guide covers what a home kit can and can’t tell you, and when to use a NATA-accredited lab instead.
Sources: Seqwater and Urban Utilities water quality information; Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC). Check your own supply zone in Urban Utilities’ current report before buying.
Where to buy our picks
- Quoss Universal chlorine shower filterSee today's price on Amazon
- Philips FastFlow AUT9333/79 under-sink filter with tapSee today's price on Amazon
- Philips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliserSee today's price on Amazon
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Prices change; the shop's page is the final word.
The picks in detail
Tap a pick for its full specs, pros and cons and every shop.
Shower: chloramineQuoss Universal chlorine shower filter
$128 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
Vitamin C is the only common shower media that handles chloramine.
- Media: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) cartridge
- Fits: Standard half-inch thread, before your head or hand-shower hose
- How to buy at Bunnings: Special Order (online or the Special Orders desk)
- Refill life: 2-4 months per stick (Quoss claim)
- Reduces: Chlorine (Quoss claim; Quoss doesn't claim chloramine)
- Certification: None shown on the Bunnings listing
Pros
- Vitamin C reacts with chloramine as well as chlorine (shown in a bath test by San Francisco's water utility)
- Bunnings takes unused items back for change of mind, in any store
Cons
- A Special Order at Bunnings, not a shelf item
- Dearest shower filter here and cartridges are pricey
- Skin and hair benefits are anecdotal; we only credit chlorine reduction
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
KitchenPhilips FastFlow AUT9333/79 under-sink filter with tap
$299 at Bunnings · checked 22 Oct 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
WaterMark-listed and certified for chlorine and PFAS; chloramine isn't on its listing, so ask Philips about it.
- Certification: NSF/ANSI 53 for PFAS (PFOS and PFOA), 42 for chlorine, 401 for microplastics, plus 372 (Philips and Bunnings listings, 31 Oct 2026)
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 060212
- Install: Licensed plumber, with its own filter tap
- Cartridge life: 7,268 L or 12 months (Philips, Bunnings listing); certified for 1,925 US gal
- Yearly running cost: Not published in Australia when we checked (22 Oct 2026)
Pros
- The only under-sink filter we compared with both WaterMark and NSF/ANSI 53 certification
- Certified for PFAS, not just chlorine
- Its own filter tap, so your mixer stays as it is
Cons
- Replacement cartridge price not published in Australia when we checked (22 Oct 2026)
- Needs a plumber and a hole for the tap
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 22 Oct 2026.
FluoridePhilips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser
$499 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
WaterMark-listed reverse osmosis, so a licensed plumber can fit it. RO is the only common home method that removes fluoride.
- Output: 75 GPD
- Remineraliser: Yes
- Install: Plumbed, licensed plumber
- Certification: WaterMark, licence 060214
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 060214
- Yearly running cost: About $215 to $335 at Philips RRP (AUT515, AUT514, AUT521 sets)
Pros
- RO with remineralisation from a brand you can buy in-store
- Bunnings warranty and returns
Cons
- A tank system, so it fills the cupboard and sends water to the drain like any tank RO
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brisbane tap water chlorinated or chloraminated?
Chloraminated. Seqwater adds chloramine as the disinfectant that stays in the water through the Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and Moreton Bay networks, because it lasts longer in long pipelines. That is why a standard carbon or KDF filter does less than people expect in Brisbane. Not all of south-east Queensland is the same: the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast networks are chlorinated.
Is Brisbane water fluoridated?
Yes. South East Queensland's grid water is fluoridated to the Queensland Health target. Fluoride is not removed by carbon filters; reverse osmosis removes most of it.
Is Brisbane water hard?
Moderate, and it varies by zone and season depending on which dams and the desalination plant are supplying. Urban Utilities publishes hardness by supply zone in its water quality reports; check yours before buying anything for scale.