Is a reverse osmosis system worth it in Australia?
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Philips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser
WaterMark-listed tank system with its own tap and a remineraliser, from Bunnings with Bunnings returns.
$499 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.
Our picks at a glance
| Product | Best for most homesPhilips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser $499 at Bunnings | Best low-wastePhilips AUT8950/79 400 GPD tankless reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser $699 at Bunnings | Best certifiedWaterdrop X8 tankless under-sink reverse osmosis, 800 GPD $629.30 at Waterdrop | Best in-storeStefani Undercounter 5-stage reverse osmosis system with 12 L tank $625 at Bunnings | Best for rentersWaterdrop C1S countertop reverse osmosis, no plumbing $399.20 at Waterdrop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WaterMark | ✓ Yes, licence 060214 | ✓ Yes, licence 060214 | ✓ Yes, licence 032422 | ✓ Yes, licence 022200 (certified to WMTS-103) | Not needed: countertop, no plumbing |
| Install | Plumbed, licensed plumber | Plumbed with its own tap, licensed plumber; 11 cm wide unit | Plumbed with its own tap and a drain connection; needs a power point under the sink | Plumbed with its own tap and drain, licensed plumber | Plugs in, no plumbing |
| Why it's here | WaterMark-listed tank system with its own tap and a remineraliser, from Bunnings with Bunnings returns. | WaterMark-listed and tankless, 70 percent recovery according to the listing, remineraliser built in, and sold at Bunnings and Amazon AU. | WaterMark-listed, full NSF/ANSI 58 system certification, 2:1 pure-to-drain, and no tank in the cupboard. | WaterMark certified, cartridges and membrane on the Bunnings shelf. | No plumbing at all. Fill the tank, plug it in. |
| Watch out for | A tank system, so it fills the cupboard and sends water to the drain like any tank RO | Dearest RO system at Bunnings short of the multi-temperature models | Needs electricity under the sink, which many Australian kitchens do not have | More than twice the price of the Geekpure, though the Geekpure listing shows no WaterMark | No RO performance certification |
| Buy | Today's price on Amazon$499 at Bunnings | Today's price on Amazon$699 at Bunnings | $629.30 at Waterdrop (with code WDX8)Today's price on Amazon | $625 at Bunnings | $399.20 at Waterdrop (with code WDC1S)Today's price on Amazon |
WaterMark-listed tank system with its own tap and a remineraliser, from Bunnings with Bunnings returns.
WaterMark-listed tank system with its own tap and a remineraliser, from Bunnings with Bunnings…
Watch out: A tank system, so it fills the cupboard and sends water to the drain like any tank RO
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 060214
- Install: Plumbed, licensed plumber
$499 at Bunnings, checked 9 Nov 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
WaterMark-listed and tankless, 70 percent recovery according to the listing, remineraliser built in, and sold at Bunnings and Amazon AU.
WaterMark-listed and tankless, 70 percent recovery according to the listing, remineraliser…
Watch out: Dearest RO system at Bunnings short of the multi-temperature models
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 060214
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap, licensed plumber; 11 cm wide unit
$699 at Bunnings, checked 9 Nov 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
WaterMark-listed, full NSF/ANSI 58 system certification, 2:1 pure-to-drain, and no tank in the cupboard.
WaterMark-listed, full NSF/ANSI 58 system certification, 2:1 pure-to-drain, and no tank in the…
Watch out: Needs electricity under the sink, which many Australian kitchens do not have
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 032422
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap and a drain connection; needs a power point under the sink
$629.30 at Waterdrop · checked 9 Nov 2026
WaterMark certified, cartridges and membrane on the Bunnings shelf.
WaterMark certified, cartridges and membrane on the Bunnings shelf.
Watch out: More than twice the price of the Geekpure, though the Geekpure listing shows no WaterMark
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 022200 (certified to WMTS-103)
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap and drain, licensed plumber
$625 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026
No plumbing at all. Fill the tank, plug it in.
No plumbing at all.
Watch out: No RO performance certification
- WaterMark: Not needed: countertop, no plumbing
- Install: Plugs in, no plumbing
$399.20 at Waterdrop · checked 9 Nov 2026
Quick answer: Worth it if you want fluoride or dissolved solids out of your drinking water, or you live on hard, mineral-heavy water such as Adelaide's or Perth's. Not worth it for chlorine taste alone, where a $100 carbon filter does the same job with no waste water and often no plumber. If you buy one, buy a WaterMark-listed system such as the Philips 75 GPD station ($499 at Bunnings, checked 21 Oct 2026), so a licensed plumber can fit it.
How we picked: We picked these 5 from the water filters sold in Australia, judged on watermark, 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.
Reverse osmosis is the most thorough home water treatment you can buy, and it is also the one most often bought for the wrong reason. Here is the case for and against, with Australian water and Australian prices.
What reverse osmosis does that carbon cannot
A carbon filter adsorbs chlorine, taste and odour compounds and many organic chemicals. It does nothing to dissolved minerals, salts or fluoride, because those are ions in solution, not particles or organics. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane fine enough to reject most dissolved ions. Out go fluoride, calcium and magnesium (hardness), sodium, nitrate, most metals and most of the things a TDS meter measures.
If none of those is your problem, you do not need reverse osmosis. If one of them is, nothing else at household scale does the job.
Where in Australia it earns its keep
The honest answer depends on your water, and your utility publishes it. We have read the figures for ten cities and the pattern is clear.
| City | Hardness (mg/L CaCO₃) | Fluoridated | RO verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | About 130 to 200 | Yes | Worth it: hard, high in dissolved solids, chloraminated |
| Perth | About 100 to over 200 | Yes | Worth it for taste and scale at the kitchen tap |
| Brisbane | Moderate, varies | Yes | Worth it if fluoride matters; otherwise catalytic carbon |
| Newcastle | About 46 to 74 | Yes | Only for fluoride |
| Gold Coast | 37 to 58, average 47 | Yes | Only for fluoride |
| Sydney | About 43 | Yes | Only for fluoride |
| Canberra | 21 to 59, average 37 | Yes | Only for fluoride |
| Melbourne | About 31 | Yes | Only for fluoride |
Every capital fluoridates, so if fluoride removal is your reason, RO is worth it everywhere. If taste or scale is your reason, it is worth it in Adelaide and Perth and a luxury in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart and the Gold Coast, where the water is soft and a carbon filter changes the taste as much as you will notice.
What it really costs over five years
| Item | Tank system (Philips 75 GPD) | Tankless (Philips 400 GPD) | Countertop (Waterdrop C1S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| System | $499 at Bunnings | $699 at Bunnings | Check price (Amazon AU) |
| Plumber | $226.60 Bunnings tap-only service, or $80 to $200 an hour (hipages) | Same | None |
| Cartridges, five years | Three Philips filter sets on their own schedules (yearly cost on the pick card) | Up to 3 years or 11,000 L per set (listing) | One C1RF cartridge a year (Waterdrop) |
| Water to drain | 2 to 4 L per litre made | About 0.4 L per litre (70 percent recovery, listing) | About 0.3 L per litre (3:1, listing) |
| Cupboard space | Most of it | An 11 cm slab | Bench space instead |
Prices are what we found on 21 October 2026 at Bunnings (Amazon AU prices change daily, so check them there), and the hipages plumber range is from its cost guide updated 24 July 2026. The plumber is often the second-largest line, which is why our installation cost guide exists.
The water-waste line looks alarming and usually is not. A household drinking ten litres a day through a 1:2 tank system sends about 7,000 litres a year to the drain. At your utility’s usage charge that is a line on the bill, not a reason to decide. On tank water, or anywhere with restrictions, it matters more, and the newer tankless units largely solve it.
The flat-taste problem
Reverse osmosis strips calcium and magnesium along with everything else, and water with no minerals tastes flat to many people. The fix is a remineralising cartridge after the membrane, which both Philips stations include. The iSpring RCC7AK and the Geekpure six-stage kit have one too, but neither is WaterMark-listed. We have a separate guide to alkaline and remineralising filters that explains what they do and do not do. Treat this as taste, not health.
Tank, tankless or countertop
Tank systems are the traditional design: slow membrane, pressurised storage tank, dedicated tap. Cheapest to buy, standard cartridges, most water to drain, most cupboard lost. The Philips 75 GPD and Stefani are WaterMark-listed tank systems. A plumbed system must be on the WaterMark register, because a licensed plumber isn’t permitted to install a water filter that isn’t.
Tankless systems use a pump to push water through a larger membrane on demand. Less waste, no tank, and a power point needed under the sink, which many Australian kitchens lack. The Philips 400 GPD and Waterdrop X8 are tankless; the X8 carries full NSF/ANSI 58 certification and a TDS display on the tap.
Countertop systems need no plumbing. You fill a tank, a pump does the work, and you empty a waste compartment. The Waterdrop C1S is the one we would buy; the benchtop reverse osmosis guide compares it with the Philips compact unit and the instant-hot C1H.
The picks
Start with the Philips 75 GPD station: WaterMark-listed, with a remineraliser and Bunnings returns. Buy the Philips 400 GPD if water waste or cupboard space bothers you and you want local service. Choose the Waterdrop X8 if certification matters to you and you have power under the sink. The Stefani is for anyone who wants to walk into a Bunnings and walk out with a WaterMark-certified system and a spare membrane. Renters buy the Waterdrop C1S.
The full comparison of every RO unit we have priced is in the reverse osmosis guide, and the fluoride guide covers the one non-RO fluoride option.
The competition
We checked these on 21 October 2026.
- Geekpure 5-stage (Amazon Australia). The cheapest complete kit we found, but it isn’t on the WaterMark register, so a licensed plumber can’t install it.
- iSpring RCC7AK (Amazon Australia). Six stages with a remineraliser; not WaterMark-listed either.
- iSpring RCS5T (Amazon Australia). A tankless 500 GPD unit; not WaterMark-listed.
The one trap
Buying reverse osmosis to fix a chlorine or chloramine taste. The membrane does not do that job; the carbon pre-filters in front of it do, and they are the same carbon you could have bought on its own for a tenth of the price. Worse, on chloraminated water in Brisbane or Adelaide, chloramine that gets past tired pre-filters damages the membrane. If taste is the whole problem, read the chloramine guide and buy the right carbon. Buy reverse osmosis for the things only a membrane removes.
Where to buy our picks
- Philips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliserSee today's price on Amazon
- Philips AUT8950/79 400 GPD tankless reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliserSee today's price on Amazon
- Waterdrop X8 tankless under-sink reverse osmosis, 800 GPD$629.30 at Waterdrop (with code WDX8)
- Stefani Undercounter 5-stage reverse osmosis system with 12 L tank$625 at Bunnings
- Waterdrop C1S countertop reverse osmosis, no plumbing$399.20 at Waterdrop (with code WDC1S)
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.
Best for most homesPhilips 75 GPD reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser
$499 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
WaterMark-listed tank system with its own tap and a remineraliser, from Bunnings with Bunnings returns.
- 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.
Best low-wastePhilips AUT8950/79 400 GPD tankless reverse osmosis tap water station with remineraliser
$699 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
WaterMark-listed and tankless, 70 percent recovery according to the listing, remineraliser built in, and sold at Bunnings and Amazon AU.
- Stages: Aquaporin Inside RO with remineraliser; dual-outlet tap gives RO or micro-filtered water
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap, licensed plumber; 11 cm wide unit
- Flow rate: 1.05 L/min RO, 2.4 L/min micro-filtered, no tank (listing)
- Filter life: Up to 3 years or 11,000 L (listing)
- Certification: WaterMark certified (Amazon AU listing)
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 060214
- Yearly running cost: About $192 at Philips RRP (AUT619 yearly, AUT620R400 every 3 years)
Pros
- 70 percent recovery: two litres of purified water from every three (listing), against 25 to 33 percent for tank systems
- Tankless and slim, so the cupboard stays usable
- Sold at Bunnings and Amazon AU, so service and returns are local
Cons
- Dearest RO system at Bunnings short of the multi-temperature models
- Proprietary cartridges
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
Best certifiedWaterdrop X8 tankless under-sink reverse osmosis, 800 GPD
$629.30 at Waterdrop · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
WaterMark-listed, full NSF/ANSI 58 system certification, 2:1 pure-to-drain, and no tank in the cupboard.
- Stages: 9 stages in composite cartridges with a 0.0001 micron RO membrane (listing)
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap and a drain connection; needs a power point under the sink
- Flow rate: 800 GPD, about 3,000 L a day, no storage tank
- Filter life: RO filter up to 24 months (listing)
- Certification: NSF/ANSI 58 for TDS and 42 for chlorine, taste and odour (IAPMO); lead, PFAS and fluoride are not on the listings
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 032422
- Yearly running cost: About $289 at Waterdrop AU prices (F1G yearly, F2 six-monthly, X8-F3 every two years)
Pros
- Tankless, so it frees most of the cupboard a tank system fills
- 2:1 pure-to-drain ratio, far better than a traditional tank RO
- Full system certification to NSF/ANSI 58, which the cheap tank systems do not carry
- Tap shows TDS and filter life
Cons
- Needs electricity under the sink, which many Australian kitchens do not have
- About three times the price of the Geekpure
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
Best in-storeStefani Undercounter 5-stage reverse osmosis system with 12 L tank
$625 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons and where to buy
WaterMark certified, cartridges and membrane on the Bunnings shelf.
- Stages: 5 (5 micron sediment, GAC, 5 micron carbon block, RO membrane, post carbon)
- Install: Plumbed with its own tap and drain, licensed plumber
- Flow rate: Tank system; 12 L storage (listing)
- Filter life: Not stated on the listing
- Certification: WaterMark lead-free certified (listing)
- WaterMark: Yes, licence 022200 (certified to WMTS-103)
- Yearly running cost: About $368 to $736 at Bunnings prices, depending on how often you change the set
Pros
- A WaterMark-certified RO system you can buy in a Bunnings store, with cartridges and the $124 membrane on the shelf
- Standard cartridge sizes shared with Stefani's under-sink range
- Listing names PFAS and dissolved solids reduction, not just taste
Cons
- More than twice the price of the Geekpure, though the Geekpure listing shows no WaterMark
- Traditional tank RO, so water waste and cupboard space are what they always were
Paid links: we may earn a commission. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
Best for rentersWaterdrop C1S countertop reverse osmosis, no plumbing
$399.20 at Waterdrop · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
No plumbing at all. Fill the tank, plug it in.
- Install: Plugs in, no plumbing
- Stages: 6-stage RO in one composite cartridge (Waterdrop)
- Waste ratio: 3:1 pure to drain on its own page; 2:1 in Waterdrop's comparison table
- Yearly running cost: About $120: one C1RF filter a year at $119.99 (Waterdrop Australia, in stock on 8 Nov 2026)
- Certification: NSF/ANSI 372 lead-free materials only (IAPMO W-13936); its TDS, lead, PFAS and fluoride figures are Waterdrop's own tests
- WaterMark: Not needed: countertop, no plumbing
Pros
- Sold by an Australian seller (Waterdrop Australia), so delivery and returns are local
- Detachable jug for the clean water fits in the fridge
Cons
- No RO performance certification
- You refill a tank by hand, and it needs power and bench space
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 reverse osmosis water better than filtered water?
It is more thoroughly filtered. A carbon filter removes chlorine, taste and some chemicals; reverse osmosis also removes fluoride, dissolved salts and most metals. Whether that is better depends on what is in your water and what you want out. On soft, clean water the difference is mostly taste.
How much does a reverse osmosis system cost to run in Australia?
Budget $80 to $200 a year in cartridges, a membrane every two to three years, and two to four litres to the drain for every litre you drink on a tank system. Tankless units cut the drain figure to one or half a litre.
Does reverse osmosis remove fluoride and chlorine?
Yes to both. RO is the standard home method for fluoride; for a measured figure, check the system's NSF/ANSI 58 listing. Chlorine, and chloramine where your utility uses it, is removed by the carbon pre-filters, which also protect the membrane.
Do I need a plumber for reverse osmosis?
For an under-sink system, yes: it taps the cold line, needs a drain connection and usually a new tap, and that is licensed plumbing work. A plumbed system must be on the WaterMark register, because a licensed plumber isn't permitted to install a water filter that isn't. Countertop units plug into a power point and need nobody.
Does reverse osmosis water taste different?
Often, yes. It is low in minerals and some people find it flat. A remineralising stage puts some calcium and magnesium back for taste; both Philips stations have one, as do the iSpring RCC7AK and Geekpure six-stage kits, though neither of those is WaterMark-listed.