Australians are known for their love of the great outdoors, sunny beaches, and a generally high quality of life.

What happens when something as fundamental as water becomes a cause for concern?

A local's discovery left many Aussies scratching their heads and had everyone asking—is our water safe for drinking?

An anonymous Western Australian resident took to social media to share a photo of a peculiar substance he saw after boiling tap water.

The photo showed a 'crunchy' brown clump resembling a crushed tree bark.

'I boiled away about three litres of Perth tap water, and this is what was left. What is it?' they asked.

An anonymous resident posted a rocky substance as a by-product of boiling tap water. Image Credit: Reddit

The post quickly garnered attention, and people expressed their disgust and confusion over the residue.

'I'm a chef and have boiled Perth water thousands of times. I have never seen residue like this,' one commented.

'That looks particularly excessive for three litres,' another comment read.

'I've always used a water filter since moving to Perth from the country where we always drank rainwater. I can't stand the taste of tap water,' a third wrote.

'Perth water is undrinkable. Maybe you are used to it and don't notice, but it is disgusting for tourists, and bathrooms smell like public pools,' a fourth added.

University of Western Sydney Professor Ian Wright weighed in on the matter.

'It's salt, but not necessarily sodium chloride table salt,' the water expert explained.

Wright, who previously worked for Sydney Water, pointed out that Perth has the saltiest capital city water in Australia.

Mount Yokine water supply topped the charts for salt content in water.

While salt in water may not be a big deal, Wright cautioned that it could have health implications.

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'Australians have too much salt in our diet, and water usually only provides a little,' he stated.

'Still, it adds to the salt burden, and people with kidney disease need to be very careful about salt intake.'

Professor Wright warned that high salt intake could raise blood pressure, leading to a host of other health issues.

This revelation showed the importance of being aware of what's in the water being consumed daily.

For those with pre-existing health conditions, water quality could be a significant concern.

Several companies analyse the mineral content of tap water, giving consumers a clearer picture of what they are consuming.

Investing in a good quality water filter could also reduce the amount of salt and other impurities, making tap water safer to drink.

Key Takeaways

• A WA local discovered a brown, rocky clump after boiling Perth tap water, prompting concern online.
• Water expert and professor Ian Wright explained that the substance is likely salt, though not necessarily common table salt.
• The saltiness of the water varies, with Mount Yokine's supply noted as the saltiest and Perth following suit.
• While tap water normally contributes minimal salt to one's diet, Wright cautioned that awareness of salt intake, including from water, is important.

Have you ever encountered anything like this in your tap water? How do you keep your drinking water safe and healthy? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!

 

[Ronloby]

It could be from what was old seawater many, many years ago.

 

[Isis]

Shouldn’t have laughed but I did. At 84 I drank tank water most of my life. Goodness knows what was in it. . A neighbour fished out a fortunately live possum.
Seriously though wouldn’t want it happening now. I drink plain old tap water with no odd additives. Boil my tea water and again no sludge.

 

[Staffordshire Whippet]

Adelaide water is filtered through sheep!

 

[Lisa]

Mmm so the local boiled up 3 litres of water and this was the residue?? It looks like lime scale which could have come out of the kettle...I wonder if that's been cleaned often??

 

[cblayney]

Adelaide water is filtered through sheep!

Yep dead sheep

 

[Clancieblue]

Maybe he should clean his kettle.

 

[DLHM]

Maybe he should clean his kettle.

That was my thought too.

 

[Clancieblue]

That was my thought too.

A woman where I worked was caught boiling her egg in the kettle. Never used it after that, always used the zip hot water. another woman was caught cleaning her teeth in the staff room sink. That finished it for me. Did they drink out of the milk bottle as well?

 

[oldsalt]

Yep dead sheep

That's for sure definately not alive ones

 

[DLHM]

I’m sure the WA resident chose to remain anonymous because I think it’s fake. Yes, Perth water is not good and I always filter it with a good quality water filter. But there have been the odd occasions that I’ve had tap water. It doesn’t taste nice, but have never seen anything like the pic that the person claims was the remains of three litres of boiled water.

 

[Littleboy8]

I’m sure the WA resident chose to remain anonymous because I think it’s fake. Yes, Perth water is not good and I always filter it with a good quality water filter. But there have been the odd occasions that I’ve had tap water. It doesn’t taste nice, but have never seen anything like the pic that the person claims was the remains of three litres of boiled water.

I agree it looks like she crushed up a sea shell from the sea shore.

 

[Ezzy]

Once found a dead cockroach in a kettle used by volunteers at a telephone crisis centre.

On another time a workmate caught crabs (during work time) & boiled them in the communal urn. That stopped me from using it again, bought hot water from home in a flask because he never cleaned it afterwards. The leading hand offered no advice about cleaning & ate the crabs too. Sorry, pass, not my cup of tea.

 

[Mr Chips]

I’m sure the WA resident chose to remain anonymous because I think it’s fake. Yes, Perth water is not good and I always filter it with a good quality water filter. But there have been the odd occasions that I’ve had tap water. It doesn’t taste nice, but have never seen anything like the pic that the person claims was the remains of three litres of boiled water.

My brother lives in one of the Perth suburbs and he has a mojo "stick to beer it kills off everything".

 

[Towing]

Adelaide water is filtered through sheep!

There's cattle very close to the banks of the Murray River in some areas too

 

[Towing]

Have they got de-salinated water in WA? Possums will get in some very small places. We had some manage to get into our ceiling of our office at work. They had to set traps with food in them to catch them. They were making a horrible smelly mess. It seems they were bored in the gum trees along the river ad wanted a change of scenery.