By QLD Water Filtration Team · Last reviewed . General information only, not medical advice. Facts below come from the linked utility, Queensland Government and NHMRC sources.
Is Queensland tap water regulated?
Yes. Providers must supply safe and reliable drinking water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and monitor its quality.
Queensland drinking water service providers operate under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), published by the NHMRC, include health-related guideline values and aesthetic guideline values (for things like taste, smell and appearance). The Queensland Government states that providers must meet these standards and monitor drinking water quality at treatment plants and selected network sites. NHMRC notes the ADWG are national guidelines rather than legally enforceable standards in themselves, and that each state and territory decides how to implement them. The ADWG are updated on a rolling basis (most recently in June 2025). Source: Queensland Government · NHMRC ADWG.
Who supplies drinking water where you live?
In South East Queensland, Seqwater supplies bulk water and your local utility delivers it to your home.
| Region | Water delivered by |
|---|---|
| Gold Coast | City of Gold Coast |
| Brisbane | Urban Utilities |
| Moreton Bay | Unitywater |
| Sunshine Coast | Unitywater |
| Ipswich | Urban Utilities |
| Logan | Logan Water (Logan City Council) |
| Redland City | Redland City Council |
How is tap water disinfected: chlorine or chloramine?
Utilities disinfect with chlorine or chloramine to kill or inactivate harmful micro-organisms, and chloramine lasts longer in pipes.
Logan City Council explains that chloramines are most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine, and that their purpose is to provide longer-lasting treatment as water moves through pipes. It states disinfectant levels are normally maintained between 0.2 and 2 mg/L.
The ADWG health guideline values are 5 mg/L for chlorine and 4.1 mg/L for chloramine, and Council states it keeps disinfectant concentrations well below these levels. Unitywater says it uses chlorine and chloramination in its supply.
On taste, Council notes many people can taste chlorine and chloramines at levels as low as 0.6 mg/L, suggests leaving an unsealed jug in the fridge for a few hours, and says activated carbon filters can also remove the taste.
Sources: Logan City Council: water supply disinfection fact sheet, Unitywater: what's in your water.
Is fluoride added to Queensland tap water?
Yes. Queensland's Water Fluoridation Regulation 2020 requires fluoride to be maintained at 0.8 mg/L across South East Queensland, and Seqwater adds it.
Under the Regulation, the required concentration is 0.8 mg/L for the Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland and Sunshine Coast local government areas (among others). The figure includes any naturally occurring fluoride, and a supplier complies if the measured concentration, averaged over a quarter, is within 0.1 mg/L of the required level.
Unitywater and Logan City Council both state that Seqwater adds fluoride at its treatment plants. NHMRC describes community water fluoridation as a safe and effective way of reducing tooth decay, and states its 2016 review found no reliable evidence that fluoridation at current Australian levels causes health problems.
Whether to reduce fluoride in your drinking water is a personal choice. Reverse osmosis systems reduce fluoride at the tap where they are installed.
Sources: Queensland Water Fluoridation Regulation 2020, NHMRC: health effects of water fluoridation, Unitywater: what's in your water, Logan City Council.
What is water hardness, and is it a problem?
Hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water. Harder water leaves more limescale on pipes, heaters and tapware.
Unitywater describes Moreton Bay drinking water as "neither hard nor soft (less than 200 mg/L)" and Sunshine Coast and Noosa water as "generally soft (less than 100 mg/L)". Hardness varies between supply zones in other areas, and Urban Utilities publishes hardness information for its network.
A salt-based water softener is designed for homes with high mineral content or bore water. Read about our water softeners.
Source: Unitywater: what's in your water.
What about PFAS and other contaminants?
The ADWG sets health-based guideline values for PFAS, updated in June 2025, and utilities report their results against the ADWG.
NHMRC's June 2025 update to the ADWG specifies separate health-based guideline values of 8 ng/L for PFOS, 30 ng/L for PFHxS, 200 ng/L for PFOA and 1,000 ng/L for PFBS. NHMRC explains that a health-based guideline value is the amount of a chemical in drinking water that a person can consume daily over a lifetime without appreciable risk to health. Source: NHMRC.
We don't make claims beyond what utilities and the ADWG publish. If you're concerned about a specific substance, read your provider's drinking water quality report using the links below. Reverse osmosis systems are designed to reduce dissolved salts, heavy metals, fluoride, PFAS and microscopic particles at the tap where they are installed. See our reverse osmosis systems.
What can a home water filter do?
A filter changes your water at the point where it is installed. Which one suits you depends on your supply and what you want to improve.
| If your concern is | Consider | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine or chloramine taste and smell | Whole-house filtration | Removes chlorine, chloramine and sediment at the point of entry. |
| Drinking and cooking water quality at one tap | Under-sink filtration | A dedicated filtered-water tap at the kitchen sink. |
| Fluoride, PFAS, dissolved salts, heavy metals | Reverse osmosis | Ultra-fine filtration for drinking and cooking water (point-of-use). |
| Limescale and hard water | Water softener | Salt-based softening to protect pipes, heaters and appliances. |
| Tank, bore or rainwater supply | UV water treatment | Pre-filtration plus a UV steriliser for non-town-water supplies. |
| Not sure what is in your water | Free on-site water audit | Instant chlorine and TDS tests and a plumbing inspection. |
Utility monitoring covers the town-water supply. Tank, bore and rainwater are not supplied or monitored by a utility, so we test them on-site. Filters need replacing on schedule (most systems every 6–12 months) to keep working. See filter replacement and maintenance.
Check your own water
Your provider publishes water quality information. These are the official pages.
- Urban Utilities (Brisbane, Ipswich)
- Unitywater (Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast)
- City of Gold Coast
- Logan City Council
- Redland City Council
- Seqwater (bulk water for South East Queensland)
Prefer to see it for yourself? We run a free on-site test with instant chlorine and TDS readings and a plumbing inspection. See free water quality testing.
Common questions
Is Queensland tap water regulated?
Yes. Drinking water service providers operate under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008. The Queensland Government states they must provide safe and reliable drinking water that meets the health and aesthetic guideline values of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, and monitor its quality.
Can I taste chlorine or chloramine in my tap water?
Many people can taste chlorine and chloramines at levels as low as 0.6 mg/L, according to Logan City Council. Council suggests leaving an unsealed jug of water in the fridge for a few hours, and notes that activated carbon filters can also remove the taste.
Does a water filter make my tap water safe?
Utilities are responsible for supplying drinking water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. A home filter is a personal choice used to change taste, reduce chlorine or chloramine, fluoride or scale, or to treat tank and bore water, which no utility supplies or monitors.
Where can I see the water quality for my address?
Your water provider publishes drinking water quality information and annual reports. Use the links in the "Check your own water" section below. You can also book our free on-site test, which checks chlorine and TDS and inspects your plumbing.
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