Tap water can taste like chlorine because chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water, and a small residual remains as water travels through the supply network. Some people notice this taste more than others.
Temperature, water movement, the time water spends in household plumbing and the type of disinfectant used can also affect how strong the taste seems. If you dislike the taste, there are several simple ways to reduce it before considering a filtration system.
Treatment doesn’t stop at the plant. Water travels a long way through the network, so suppliers keep a low level of disinfectant in it the whole way. That leftover amount is called the residual, and it’s what you’re tasting.
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines put typical free chlorine residuals in major supplies at around 0.2 to 0.5 mg/L, and say the odour is usually detectable at about 0.6 mg/L. Some people notice it well below that. WA Health makes the same point about sensitivity, which is why one person in a house can find the water fine while another can’t finish a glass. That’s also why chlorine taste in tap water varies so much from person to person.
Smell does a lot of the work. The pool-like odour reaches your nose first, and because smell shapes how we perceive flavour, the water can seem stronger than the actual concentration would suggest.
Why does my water taste like chlorine more in some weeks than others? Usually one of these four reasons.
WA Health notes that chlorinated water can smell and taste stronger when it’s warm. A glass left on the bench in January will seem worse than the same water straight from the fridge.
Chlorine levels aren’t identical across a supply. WA Health lists flow rate, distance from the treatment plant and maintenance periods as factors, so the taste can shift with demand or after work on nearby mains.
Water that has sat in your internal plumbing overnight, or while you were away, can taste different from fresh mains water. Water Corporation suggests running an internal tap for about 30 seconds in some of these cases.
Some supplies use chloramine instead of plain chlorine. The guidelines explain that chloramines form when chlorine reacts with ammonia. In practice they tend to hang around in the pipes longer than free chlorine, so the usual tricks work differently. A quick call or look at your water provider’s website will tell you which disinfectant your area uses, and it’s worth knowing before you spend money on anything.
On its own, no. WA Health describes chlorination as an established public health measure, and Water Corporation says chlorine is added to give continuing protection from the plant to your tap. A chlorine taste is a taste and odour matter.
What deserves a closer look is anything that breaks the pattern: a sudden new taste, a smell that clearly isn’t chlorine, or a problem at one tap only. Those point to your plumbing or fittings, or are worth a call to your water provider.
Start with the free options.
If those aren’t enough, or you’d rather not plan your day around a jug in the fridge, filtration is the next step.
Most filters aimed at chlorine taste use activated carbon. Carbon has a very large internal surface area, and chlorine and many taste and odour compounds are drawn to it as water passes through.
Results depend on the type of carbon, the flow rate, the contact time and your water. A small cartridge with water pushed through it quickly will do less than a properly sized unit with enough time to work.
Carbon is for taste and odour. If you’re after something different for drinking water, such as reducing dissolved contaminants, that calls for another technology. Perth households can see how that works in Armour’s under-sink reverse osmosis range, and the how filtration works page explains the stages in plain terms.
Before choosing anything, decide where you want the filtered water.
A point-of-use filter (a jug, tap-mounted unit or under-sink system) treats one outlet. It suits you if drinking and cooking water is all you care about.
A whole home system treats water where it enters the property, so every tap, shower and appliance gets filtered water. It tends to make sense when:
Neither is better in general. It comes down to what bothers you and where.
Chlorine levels aren’t identical across a supply. WA Health lists flow rate, distance from the treatment plant and maintenance periods as factors, so the taste can shift with demand or after work on nearby mains.
If the taste follows you around the house, the Whole Home 3-Stage water filtration system is designed for that. Water passes through a sediment stage, then a KDF and coconut activated carbon stage designed to reduce chlorine, chloramine and chemical by-products that affect taste and odour. The third stage polishes the water with carbon and reduces scale, not a water softener.
It’s professionally installed, backed by a 5-year hardware warranty, and uses WaterMark-certified components. You can read more about Armour’s certifications and testing. Living in Victoria? There’s a page onwhole home filtration in Melbourne.
Not every odd taste is chlorine, and a filter won’t suit every cause. Water Corporation’s guidance covers the main ones:
An earthy or musty taste is also different from chlorine, and it’s generally related to the source water rather than the disinfectant, so your water provider is the best place to ask.
If the taste does match the chlorine pattern, a few questions help you decide whether a filter is worth it. Is the taste there at more than one tap? Does chilling the water make a real difference? Do you want filtered water for drinking only, or across the whole home?
If it’s one tap at certain times, the free fixes above should do it. If it’s everywhere and chilling only helps a little, filtering at the point of entry is worth a proper look.
Armour Water Filtration can talk you through your water concerns and the filtration options that suit your home. Book your free on-site consultation and the team will help you work out whether a point-of-use or whole-home setup makes sense for you.
Contact us on 1300 431 467 for your free on-site water consultation in Perth, Melbourne or Adelaide.
PURE WATER. BETTER LIFE.
Boiling can reduce free chlorine because heat helps chlorine dissipate. However, it is not equally effective for more persistent disinfectants such as chloramine. If your main concern is ongoing taste and odour, an appropriate filtration system may be more practical.
A jug fitted with an activated carbon cartridge can reduce chlorine-related taste and odour. It only treats the water you pour through the jug, so it will not provide filtration at showers, laundry outlets or other taps.
Replacement intervals depend on the cartridge, system, water quality and household use. Don’t wait for the taste change; follow the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. Regular replacement ensures the system continues to function as intended.
Hot water moves through your water heater and hot-water plumbing, which can affect its taste or odour. If it is only hot water that has the difference, then it may be worth checking the hot water system or plumbing rather than assuming it is the mains supply at fault.
