Why Drink Distilled Water? The Honest Guide for Australians

Distilled water is the purest form of water you can produce at home. It removes virtually everything from your tap water — contaminants, heavy metals, bacteria, fluoride, and dissolved minerals — through a simple process that mirrors nature’s own water cycle. But is it right for everyday drinking? Here’s an honest answer.

For a full guide on home distillers and how to choose one, see our Water Distillers Guide or browse our water distiller range.

What Is Distilled Water?

Distillation boils water into steam, then condenses that steam back into liquid in a separate clean container. Because contaminants, minerals, bacteria, and heavy metals don’t evaporate with the water, they’re left behind. The result is water that’s as close to pure H₂O as you can get at home.

A home water distiller replicates this process automatically — you fill the boiling chamber, press start, and collect pure distilled water in a glass jug a few hours later.

What Does Distillation Remove?

A quality home distiller removes:

• Fluoride, chlorine, and chloramines
• Heavy metals — lead, arsenic, mercury, copper
• Bacteria, viruses, and parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium)
• Nitrates, sulfates, and pesticides
• Dissolved minerals — calcium, sodium, potassium (both beneficial and harmful)
• Bad tastes and odours

Adding a carbon post-filter (included in most quality distillers) also removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can carry over with the steam.

Why Do People Drink Distilled Water?

• Maximum purity — no other home filtration method removes as broad a range of contaminants
• Consistent quality — the output quality doesn’t depend on the source water quality or water pressure
• No filter cartridges — distillers don’t use replaceable filter membranes (just a carbon post-filter sachet)
• Fluoride removal — one of the few home methods that reliably removes fluoride
• Medical and CPAP use — distilled water is recommended for CPAP humidifiers and medical equipment
• Cost — producing distilled water at home costs roughly $0.05–0.10 per litre, far cheaper than buying bottled distilled water

Is Distilled Water Safe to Drink Every Day?

Yes — distilled water is safe to drink. The main consideration for long-term daily use is that it lacks minerals. The World Health Organization notes that long-term consumption of very low-mineral water may not be ideal, as water can contribute to daily mineral intake.

The practical solution: remineralise your distilled water with mineral stones or drops. Our magnesium prill beads raise pH and add magnesium naturally. Alternatively, ensure your diet provides adequate calcium and magnesium — which for most Australians eating a balanced diet, it does.

For comparison with other purification methods, see our Reverse Osmosis Guide — RO systems also produce very high purity water and many include a remineralisation stage.

Other Uses for Distilled Water

Beyond drinking, distilled water is useful around the home:

• Baby formula preparation
• CPAP machine humidifiers
• Steam irons (prevents mineral buildup)
• Car batteries and radiators
• Aquariums
• Neti pots and nasal irrigation
• Crystal-clear ice cubes

Frequently Asked Questions