Real measurements from Water Corporation's annual testing programme — translated into plain English with honest filter recommendations for your area.
Tap your suburb below — we'll show you the Water Corporation data and a plain-English recommendation for your area.
This area has among the highest TDS of any inner-Perth suburb — slightly above the 500 mg/L aesthetic guideline. You'll likely notice a mineral taste from the tap, scale accumulation on kettles, showerheads, and coffee machines, and possibly a light film on glasses from the dishwasher.
The high mineral load comes from the Gnangara groundwater aquifer — natural geology, not contamination. All health parameters are within Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Chloride at 191 mg/L contributes to the slightly brackish taste many residents notice. pH of 7.90 is good.
Very similar water profile to the inner-north suburbs — same groundwater source, comparable mineral levels. TDS of 560 mg/L sits above the 500 mg/L aesthetic guideline. You'll notice scale on appliances and a mineral taste, particularly if you've previously lived somewhere with softer water.
Hardness at 103 mg/L is moderately hard — noticeable but not as severe as Perth's far-northern suburbs like Neerabup (190 mg/L) or Yanchep (204 mg/L). pH ranges 7.28–7.92 in this zone depending on season and supply blend — generally good with slightly more variation than the Mt. Hawthorn zone.
The Bold Park zone has noticeably better water quality than inner-north suburbs. TDS of 286 mg/L is less than half the North Perth/Leederville area value. Hardness at 62 mg/L is only slightly hard, and all aesthetic parameters sit comfortably within guidelines. Less scale on appliances, less mineral taste.
This is largely because the supply mix here includes significantly more desalinated water than Gnangara groundwater. Chlorine is still added — that's consistent across all Perth water — but the mineral profile is much lighter. Honest assessment: your water quality is reasonably good by Perth standards.
TDS measures all minerals, salts and metals dissolved in water. Perth's inner-north sits at 560–564 mg/L — slightly above the 500 mg/L aesthetic guideline. Not harmful, but you'll taste it and see it as scale. Sydney's TDS averages 124 mg/L. Reverse osmosis is the most effective way to reduce TDS.
Hard water leaves white scale deposits on taps, kettles, appliances, and reduces soap effectiveness. The service area ranges from slightly hard (62 mg/L in Subiaco/Wembley) to moderately hard (110 mg/L in North Perth/Leederville). The aesthetic guideline is 200 mg/L.
pH 7 is neutral. The ADWG guideline is 6.5–8.5. All inner-north zones average 7.78–7.90 — slightly alkaline, well within the healthy range. Acidic water below 6.5 can leach metals from copper pipes; alkaline above 8.5 can taste bitter.
Chloride is a naturally occurring salt mineral in groundwater — separate from chlorine (the disinfectant added for treatment). Inner-north Perth ranges from 118 mg/L (Subiaco/Wembley) to 191 mg/L (North Perth/Leederville). At higher levels it contributes a slightly salty taste. Reduced effectively by reverse osmosis.
All water quality data is sourced from the Water Corporation Drinking Water Quality Annual Report 2023–24 (testing period 01/07/2023 to 30/06/2024). Values shown are zone mean readings. Individual properties may vary based on pipe age, distance from treatment plant, and seasonal source blending. For complete and current data, visit watercorporation.com.au. Proper Water does not conduct independent water testing — this page presents Water Corporation's own published data. All parameters cited meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines health standards.
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