Water filtration in Balgowlah Heights
Balgowlah Heights is on the Sydney Water network, which meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and relies on chloramine, a disinfectant designed to last to the end of long pipe runs like this ridge and is sometimes noticed as a smell in the shower. The water is soft. In mid-century houses that have never been replumbed, galvanised pipe can add rust to the first draw, and rebuilt homes usually carry a BASIX rainwater tank feeding toilets and garden taps. With almost every dwelling a separate house, owners here often filter at the point of entry so showers and laundry are treated too, and add a reverse osmosis or carbon unit under the kitchen sink for drinking.
Any filter connected to mains pipework must be installed by a licensed plumber in NSW, regardless of cost, with WaterMark-certified products and to the Plumbing Code of Australia, and to AS/NZS 3500 beneath it. Every plumber in the network had their licence verified against the NSW public register at vetting. For a whole-house unit the plumber looks at pressure, pipe material and where the meter sits, which on blocks backing onto the reserve can be a long way from the house, and chooses housings with low pressure loss. Where a BASIX tank is connected to the house plumbing, backflow protection between tank and mains must stay intact, and any change to the tank connection is also licensed work.
Post whether every tap or just the kitchen is to be treated, the age of the house, any taste, smell or rust you have noticed, and a photo of the meter position or under-sink cupboard. It goes to licensed plumbers in the network who work the ridge, and the plumber quotes you directly after checking pressure and pipework. Look for a quote that specifies the unit, its WaterMark listing, the replacement interval and where it will sit, ideally out of the salt air. Homeowners are not charged a fee, and whether to proceed is your call. Note the driveway gradient and any gates when you post, so the plumber plans the carry.
Water filtration services you can post
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The mains here are treated by Sydney Water to the national guidelines. Filters on the ridge deal with the taste or smell of chloramine, rust from old pipework, appliance protection or preference. Nobody in the network will tell you otherwise.
A whole-house carbon stage chosen for chloramine, because some carbon media are designed only for free chlorine. The licensed plumber selects a unit whose maker documents chloramine reduction and sizes it to your flow so showers do not lose pressure.
Usually not, because the tank feeds toilets and garden taps rather than the kitchen. The whole-house filter goes on the mains line and the backflow protection between tank and mains is left intact. If you ever want to drink tank water, that needs filtration and ultraviolet treatment, and NSW Health's advice is to drink the mains supply wherever it is available.
Often, yes. The plumber measures pressure first and chooses housings and cartridges with low pressure loss. If old galvanised pipe is the cause, replacing the worst sections at the same time may be the better fix, and the plumber can quote both.
