A Flora & Fauna guide to making a confident choice without the overwhelm.
Let's be honest. When you saw that news story about PFAS in Australian tap water, your first instinct probably wasn't to rush out and buy a filter. It was more likely: is this actually serious? And if I do something about it, where do I even start?
We asked ourselves the same thing. So, we did the reading, ran the numbers, and talked to our suppliers. Here's what we found; including the part that surprised us most.
First: the question nobody's asking clearly enough
There's a lot of noise around water quality right now. Government reassurances. Alarming headlines. Conflicting advice. What's missing is someone who will just level with you.
So here it is. Australian tap water is treated and regulated. For most people in most areas, it's not an immediate health crisis. But "meets Australian guidelines" doesn't tell the whole story and the gap between what Australia considers a safe level of PFAS and what the US now enforces is significant. We're not here to scare you. We're here to help you make an informed choice.
Filtering your water is a practical, precautionary step. And when you look at the actual cost, it's a lot more accessible than most people think.
The bottled water maths (spoiler: it's not doing what you think)
A lot of Australians reach for bottled water as the default answer to tap water concerns. Understandable, but let's look at what that actually costs.
At roughly $1 per bottle, a household going through 4-6 bottles a day spends anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000+ per year. On water. In plastic bottles that may have been sitting in a warehouse exposed to heat, with no filtration certification required.
Home filtration flips that equation. Here's how both of our vetted options stack up.
Tappwater Filter - the easy yes
Tappwater fits directly onto your existing tap in under a minute. No tools, no plumber, no drama - five adapters are included to fit virtually any standard tap. One filter, one lever: filtered water on the left, unfiltered on the right.
The filter uses advanced nano-filtration to remove over 100 contaminants including PFAS, chlorine, heavy metals and microplastics, while keeping the healthy minerals your body actually wants. Each cartridge lasts up to two months, and the starter pack includes your first refill. The annual pack takes you through a full year.
The honest numbers:
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Replaces up to 2,400 plastic bottles per year
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Running cost works out to just cents per litre
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Annual running cost: a fraction of what most households spend on bottled water
Best for: renters, smaller households, anyone who wants filtered water from the tap immediately, with zero installation fuss. It's the kind of swap that takes sixty seconds and then you just stop thinking about it.
Zazen Alkaline Water System (Glass Bottom Tank) - the long game
This one is a different kind of decision. And it deserves a different kind of explanation.
Zazen isn't just a filter - it's a 10-stage system designed specifically for Australian water conditions, in collaboration with Japanese and Korean water scientists. It filters PFAS, chlorine, fluoride and heavy metals, then goes further: remineralising the water with calcium, magnesium and potassium before it reaches your glass. Gravity-fed, bench-top, no electricity and no plumbing required.
The Glass Bottom Tank is the premium version – crafted from food-grade borosilicate glass, which means no plastic contact with your filtered water at any stage. It's independently lab-tested, meets Global NSF 53 standards.
Bonus included: each purchase comes with a free zazen Alkalinity Enhancer ($44.95 value), which adds essential minerals to support optimal hydration.
The honest numbers:
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System: $745.00 - yes, it's an upfront investment
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Annual running costs (all replacement parts): $284.75/year
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Multi-Stage Filter ($59.95) × 2 per year = $119.90
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Ceramic Pre-Filter ($59.95) × 1 per year = $59.95
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Anti-Bacterial Stones ($59.95) × 1 per year = $59.95
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Alkalinity Enhancer ($44.95) × 1 per year = $44.95
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That works out to roughly 80 cents a day from year two onwards
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Or around 9-10 cents per litre - still less than you're paying for anything in a plastic bottle
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Year one total: $804.95 spread across 365 days = about $2.21 a day for filtered, remineralised water for your whole household - with zero plastic contact.
Replacement cadence and running costs may vary depending on household size and water usage.
Best for: families, homeowners, people who want the most thorough solution and are thinking in years, not months. If you're making one considered home upgrade this year, this is the kind that compounds.
How to choose – three honest questions
We're not going to tell you which one to buy. But these three questions usually make the answer obvious:
Renting or owning? If you're renting and move frequently, Tappwater is practical - installs and uninstalls in seconds, takes it with you when you move. If you own your home and are investing in it for the long term, the Zazen system is built to last a decade and becomes part of your household rather than something you pack up.
One or four? Tappwater is ideal for one to two people. If you're filtering for a family who goes through real volume daily, Zazen's capacity and remineralisation makes more sense at scale and the per-litre cost becomes even more compelling the more water you're drinking.
First step or full commitment? Tappwater is an excellent starting point - and a genuinely good filter. Zazen is what many Tappwater users upgrade to once filtered water becomes non-negotiable in their home. If you're someone who thinks about what goes into your body, wants the glass-bottom option for zero plastic contact, and is ready to invest once rather than repeatedly, Zazen is worth it from day one.
Both meet Our Kind Standard
Every product on Flora & Fauna is vetted before it earns a place on our shelves - 100% vegan and cruelty-free, ethically sourced, independently verified. Both Tappwater and Zazen meet that bar. No greenwashing, no guesswork.
Better choices, not perfect ones. Whatever feels right for your home right now is the right call.
Questions? We're always here.
Always consult your doctor if you have questions about a medical condition.
