What is in Melbourne's tap water, and which filter fixes what
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Brita Marella XL 3.5L jug
Melbourne's water is the softest in the country; a jug is enough for most households.
$49.90 at Bunnings, checked 23 Oct 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.
Melbourne's catchment water is the softest in Australia, but chloramine in the west and the growth corridors changes which filter works. What is in it and what to buy.
Our picks at a glance
| Product | Taste, cheaplyBrita Marella XL 3.5L jug $49.90 at Bunnings | Shower: chlorine zonesPhilips 3-stage shower filter, KDF and double mesh Price at the retailer | Shower: western and growth suburbsQuoss Universal chlorine shower filter $128 at Bunnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge | Maxtra Pro, about 150 L or 4 weeks each | — | — |
| Install | Nothing to fit: a jug | — | — |
| Why it's here | Melbourne's water is the softest in the country; a jug is enough for most households. | KDF for the chlorinated majority of Melbourne. | Vitamin C where the network is chloraminated. |
| Watch out for | Slow to filter compared with a plumbed system | Cartridges need replacing every few months | A Special Order at Bunnings, not a shelf item |
| Buy | Today's price on Amazon (4 cartridges)$49.90 at Bunnings (3 cartridges) | Today's price on Amazon | Today's price on Amazon$128 at Bunnings (Special Order) |
Melbourne's water is the softest in the country; a jug is enough for most households.
Melbourne's water is the softest in the country; a jug is enough for most households.
Watch out: Slow to filter compared with a plumbed system
- Cartridge: Maxtra Pro, about 150 L or 4 weeks each
- Install: Nothing to fit: a jug
$49.90 at Bunnings, checked 23 Oct 2026 · Amazon's price is on its page
KDF for the chlorinated majority of Melbourne.
KDF for the chlorinated majority of Melbourne.
Watch out: Cartridges need replacing every few months
Price at the retailer
Vitamin C where the network is chloraminated.
Vitamin C where the network is chloraminated.
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
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.
Melbourne’s inner catchments are closed forest, which is why the water is soft, low in dissolved solids and generally regarded as the best-tasting capital-city water in Australia. The story changes in the outer west and the growth corridors.
The three things that matter
Soft water. Around 30 milligrams per litre on average. No softening needed, ever.
Chlorine in most zones, chloramine in some. Greater Western Water and some growth areas use chloramine because of pipeline length; the inner areas use chlorine. This decides your shower filter media.
Fluoride. Present; reverse osmosis removes it.
What to buy in Melbourne
- Most inner-Melbourne households want nothing more than chlorine taste out: a water filter jug or an on-tap filter is enough.
- Western and growth suburbs on chloramine: catalytic carbon under the sink and a vitamin C shower filter.
- Fluoride: reverse osmosis.
- 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: Melbourne Water and the three retail water businesses’ water quality reports; Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC). Check the disinfectant for your zone in your retailer’s report.
Where to buy our picks
- Brita Marella XL 3.5L jugSee today's price on Amazon (4 cartridges)
- Philips 3-stage shower filter, KDF and double meshSee today's price on Amazon
- Quoss Universal chlorine shower filterSee 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.
Taste, cheaplyBrita Marella XL 3.5L jug
$49.90 at Bunnings · checked 23 Oct 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
Melbourne's water is the softest in the country; a jug is enough for most households.
- Capacity: 3.5 L total, about 2 L filtered
- Cartridge: Maxtra Pro, about 150 L or 4 weeks each
- Reduces: Chlorine, limescale, lead and copper (Brita claim)
- Fridge door fit: Yes, Brita says: 25.8 cm tall, 14.8 cm deep
- In the box: 3 Maxtra Pro cartridges at Bunnings (blue), 4 at Amazon Australia (white)
- Yearly running cost: About $133: 13 Maxtra Pro a year at the Bunnings 6-pack price ($61.49, 23 Oct 2026)
- Certification: None shown on the Bunnings listing (Brita's own NSF/ANSI 53 PFAS test claim, no certificate shown)
- Install: Nothing to fit: a jug
Pros
- Cartridges sold everywhere in Australia
- Three cartridges in the box covers about three months
Cons
- Slow to filter compared with a plumbed system
- Does not remove fluoride
- Ongoing cartridge cost adds up
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 23 Oct 2026.
Shower: chlorine zonesPhilips 3-stage shower filter, KDF and double mesh
See retailer · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons and where to buy
KDF for the chlorinated majority of Melbourne.
- Media: KDF plus mesh stages
- Fits: Standard shower arm thread
- Reduces: Chlorine (manufacturer claim)
- Cartridge life: 4-6 months or 50,000 L (Philips claim)
Pros
- Sold and shipped by Amazon Australia
- KDF is the media with real evidence for chlorine reduction
- Fits before your existing shower head
Cons
- Cartridges need replacing every few months
- Slight reduction in flow
Paid links: we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Price checked 9 Nov 2026.
Shower: western and growth suburbsQuoss Universal chlorine shower filter
$128 at Bunnings · checked 9 Nov 2026Specs, pros and cons, all 2 shops
Vitamin C where the network is chloraminated.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Melbourne water soft?
The softest of the capitals, averaging around 30 milligrams per litre from the protected catchments, though some outer zones supplied from harder sources range up to about 100. Scale is rarely a problem in Melbourne.
Does Melbourne use chloramine?
Parts of the network do, particularly western and growth-area systems, while the inner catchment-fed areas use chlorine. Your retailer, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water or Greater Western Water, publishes the disinfectant by zone.
Is Melbourne water fluoridated?
Yes. Reverse osmosis is the home method that removes it.