Your questions,
answered honestly.

Perth tap water meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and is technically safe to drink. However, Perth's water is among the most heavily chlorinated in Australia, and it can also contain sediment, heavy metals, and disinfection byproducts that affect taste and odour.

Many Perth residents notice a strong chlorine smell and taste — particularly after water treatment. While this doesn't make it unsafe, a quality home water filter significantly improves the taste and removes compounds that you may prefer not to consume long-term.

Perth's water supply travels long distances through pipes before reaching your tap. Higher chlorine levels are used to ensure the water remains disinfected throughout that journey and to prevent bacterial growth in the distribution network.

While chlorine is effective at disinfection, it reacts with organic matter in the water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). A quality carbon filter removes chlorine, chloramines and DBPs, leaving your water tasting clean and fresh.

Yes — water quality can vary across Perth's suburbs depending on the source (dams vs groundwater vs desalination), pipe age, and how far the water travels to reach your home. Older homes with older pipes may also see higher sediment or metal levels.

Water Corporation publishes detailed annual water quality reports for every Perth suburb — these are the most reliable and scientifically complete source of information about your local supply. During your free consultation we'll point you directly to your suburb's report and help you understand what it means for your home.

Water Corporation publishes detailed annual water quality reports for every Perth suburb. These are the most comprehensive and scientifically rigorous source of water quality data available — covering pH, turbidity, chlorine, fluoride, hardness, metals and more, tested to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

You can access your suburb's report at watercorporation.com.au. During your free consultation with us, we'll guide you to the right report and help you understand what the results mean in practical terms for your home.

Our consultation is a straightforward conversation at your home — we're not scientists and we won't pretend to be. We'll discuss your water quality concerns, walk through what's typical for your suburb, and point you to your Water Corporation water quality report for complete scientific data.

From there we can give you an honest recommendation on whether a filtration system makes sense for your situation, and if so, which type would best suit your home and budget. There's no obligation and no hard sell — if you don't need a filter, we'll tell you.

The best system depends on your specific water quality and what you want to achieve. In general:

• Whole-home filtration is ideal if you want to improve water quality throughout the house — including shower water, appliances, and drinking water.
• Reverse osmosis is the gold standard for drinking water purity — removing up to 99% of dissolved contaminants including fluoride and heavy metals.
• Both combined gives you comprehensive protection across the entire home with ultra-pure drinking water at the kitchen tap.

We recommend starting with a free consultation and reviewing your suburb's Water Corporation water quality report — it's the most accurate way to understand what's actually in your water before making any decision.

A whole-home filter is installed at your water mains and treats all water entering your house. It's great at removing chlorine, sediment, and some heavy metals — but it doesn't achieve the same purity levels as RO. It also protects your appliances and improves shower water quality.

A reverse osmosis system is installed under your kitchen sink and provides ultra-pure drinking water through a dedicated tap. It removes up to 99% of dissolved contaminants — including fluoride and pharmaceuticals — but only filters the water at that one point.

Many Perth homes benefit from having both — whole-home for overall protection, and RO for premium drinking water.

In Western Australia, any work that connects to or modifies your home's plumbing must be carried out by a licensed plumber. This is a legal requirement under the Water Services Licensing Act.

Attempting a DIY installation can void your system's manufacturer warranty, invalidate your home insurance, and potentially cause water damage or non-compliant work that is costly to fix. All Proper Water installations are completed by fully licensed WA plumbers.

Pricing varies depending on the system type and your home's plumbing. As a general guide:

• Whole-home filtration systems: typically $800–$2,000 fully installed
• Reverse osmosis systems: typically $1,200–$2,500 fully installed
• Both combined: typically $2,000–$4,000 fully installed

We provide a fixed-price written quote after your free water quality consultation — so you know exactly what you'll pay before any work begins. There are no hidden costs or surprise charges.

Filter servicing costs vary by system type and the number of filter stages. We provide fixed-price servicing quotes upfront — you'll always know the cost before we arrive. We contact you when your service is due, so there's nothing you need to track or organise.

For most Perth households, yes — particularly when you factor in the cost of bottled water. A family spending $30–$50 per week on bottled water spends $1,500–$2,500 per year. A quality home filtration system pays for itself within one to two years and provides better water quality than most bottled water brands.

Beyond cost, filtered water means no more plastic bottles, better-tasting coffee and cooking, softer skin and hair from filtered shower water, and longer appliance life due to reduced scale build-up.

Most residential installations are completed in a single visit. As a guide:

• Whole-home filter: 1.5–3 hours
• Reverse osmosis system: 1.5–2.5 hours
• Both combined: 3–5 hours

We'll give you a specific time estimate when we provide your quote.

Yes — we'll need access to your property and someone over 18 should be present for the duration of the installation. We'll also do a full walkthrough of the system with you at the end, which requires someone to be home.

Your water will need to be turned off briefly during the installation — typically for 20–40 minutes. We take great care to protect your surfaces and leave the work area exactly as we found it. All pipework is installed neatly and all penetrations are sealed and finished properly.

Yes. Under Western Australian law, any plumbing work that connects to your home's water supply must be carried out by a licensed plumber (Plumbers Licensing Act 1995). This includes water filter installations.

All Proper Water installations are completed by fully licensed WA plumbers, ensuring your manufacturer warranty remains valid and all work meets Australian Standards (AS/NZS 3500).

Service intervals depend on the system type and your household water usage:

• Whole-home sediment/carbon filters: every 6–12 months
• RO pre-filters: every 6–12 months
• RO membrane: every 2–3 years
• RO post-carbon filter: every 12 months

We track your schedule and contact you when it's time. You don't need to remember anything.

An overdue filter cartridge becomes saturated and can no longer effectively remove contaminants. In some cases a saturated carbon filter can actually release trapped contaminants back into your water — meaning you could end up with water that's worse than unfiltered. It can also reduce water pressure and damage the system over time.

This is why we set up service reminders for every installation — it's an easy thing to forget, but an important one not to.

Yes — we service all major filter brands and system types across Perth, regardless of who installed them. Get in touch and we'll let you know if we can help with your specific system.

Standard carbon filters (including most whole-home systems) do not remove fluoride. If you want to remove fluoride, a reverse osmosis system is the most effective option — RO membranes remove approximately 90–95% of fluoride.

Whether to remove fluoride is a personal choice. If you have questions, we're happy to discuss the options during your consultation.

Reverse osmosis water is widely considered the safest choice for preparing infant formula, as it removes the broadest range of contaminants including nitrates, heavy metals and fluoride. Standard tap water and even whole-home filtered water can contain trace amounts of these substances that, while safe for adults, parents often prefer to avoid in infant feeding.

Always consult your paediatrician or GP if you have specific concerns about water and infant health.

RO water is safe to drink and is widely used around the world. Because it removes nearly all dissolved minerals, it has a very clean, neutral taste. Some people add a remineralisation filter stage to restore beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium — we can advise on this option if it's of interest.