Hillarys Home Water Filtration Cost Guide

Home water filtration cost comes down to three things: the type of system, your water source and how much upkeep you'll do each year. This guide breaks down 2026 price ranges for under-sink and whole home systems, what you'll spend after install, and how to avoid paying for stages you don't need.

Quick answer: expect about $150 to $500 installed for an under-sink filter, $500 to $1,200 for reverse osmosis, and $1,300 to $2,800 for a 3-stage whole home water system. Bore water setups cost more. Budget roughly $30 to $300 a year for cartridges, depending on the system.

What drives home water filtration cost in Hillarys

Four things set the price. The first is the system itself, meaning how many stages it has. The second is your water source. The third is the pipework and access, and the fourth is ongoing upkeep. Access matters more than most people expect. Buried lines, concrete slabs and tight crawl spaces add labour. Older galvanised pipe may need replacing at the connection point. Extras add up too, such as a pressure limiting valve ($150 to $300 installed) or a bypass loop ($100 to $200). A professional under-sink install takes 1 to 2 hours, while a whole home water install takes half a day to a full day.

Your local water matters as well. Water Corporation data places Hillarys in the Whitfords locality, along with Sorrento and Duncraig. That locality reads 120 mg/L hardness, 468 mg/L total dissolved solids and a pH of 7.71. At 120 mg/L it sits at the top of the moderately hard band (61 to 120). A carbon filter takes out chlorine taste but not hardness, so decide if scale control matters to you before you pay for an extra stage.

Home water filtration cost by system type

These are 2026 Australian price ranges from a plumbing cost guide. Your own quote will depend on your home.

System	Typical installed cost	Annual upkeep
Benchtop	$80 to $400	$30 to $80
Under-sink, single-stage	$150 to $300	$30 to $80
Under-sink, multi-stage	$300 to $500	$60 to $160
Reverse osmosis, under-sink	$500 to $1,200	$100 to $200
Whole home, 3-stage carbon	$1,300 to $2,800	$150 to $300
Whole home, 6 to 8 stage with UV	$2,500 to $5,500+	$250 to $500

Source: TrueFlow Plumbing and Drains, April 2026.

Chart: Typical installed cost by system type

Benchtop                █            Low         ($80 to $400)
Under-sink, single      █            Low         ($150 to $300)
Under-sink, multi       █            Low         ($300 to $500)
Reverse osmosis         ███          Moderate    ($500 to $1,200)
Whole home, 3-stage     ██████       High        ($1,300 to $2,800)
Whole home with UV      ████████████ Very High   ($2,500 to $5,500+)

How to read it: bar length is scaled to the midpoint of each installed price range, with $4,000 as a full bar. A longer bar means a higher typical cost. It's a guide to the range, not a quote.

Bore water, tank water and other add-ons

Your water source changes the price more than the brand does. Bore and tank supplies usually need more stages than town water, because they carry more sediment, iron or bacteria.

Setup (whole home)	Typical installed cost
Mains with old piping (adds a 1-micron cartridge)	$1,800 to $4,000
Tank or rainwater (sediment, carbon, UV)	$2,000 to $4,500
Hard water (softener plus carbon)	$2,200 to $5,000
Bore water (adds an iron and manganese stage)	$2,500 to $6,000+

Source: TrueFlow Plumbing and Drains, April 2026. A standard mains 3-stage carbon system sits at the lower end of the earlier table. WA Health says bore water shouldn't be drunk unless it has been tested and treated, so test it before you buy anything. That way you pay only for the stages you need. Just Water Co installs bore and tank water systems that use UV disinfection and specialised pre-filtration to target bacteria, minerals and metals.

Running costs and the five-year view

The install price is only the start. Cartridges are replaced every 6 to 12 months, UV lamps once a year and reverse osmosis membranes every 2 to 3 years. Here's how the five-year totals stack up for whole home setups.

System	Unit price	Install	5-year cartridges	5-year total
2-stage carbon	$300 to $600	$500 to $800	$300 to $600	$1,100 to $2,000
3-stage carbon	$600 to $1,500	$600 to $1,200	$500 to $1,000	$1,700 to $3,700
Carbon plus UV (tank or bore)	$900 to $2,500	$800 to $1,500	$600 to $1,300	$2,300 to $5,300
Softener plus filter	$1,200 to $3,000	$800 to $1,500	$500 to $1,200	$2,500 to $5,700

Source: TrueFlow Plumbing and Drains, April 2026.

Insight: on a 3-stage whole home system, cartridges make up roughly 27% to 29% of the five-year total. So ask any provider for the five-year figure as well as the install price. A cheap unit with expensive cartridges can cost more than a pricier unit with cheap ones.

Eco-friendly water filtration and the real saving

Eco-friendly water filtration starts at the kitchen tap. Water Corporation's Perth metro rate is $2.108 per kilolitre for the first 150 kL, which works out to roughly 0.2 cents a litre. Choice reports that bottled water can cost up to about 2,000 times more than tap water, and it estimates 60% of PET bottles end up in landfill.

A well-kept water filtration system gives you cold, clean-tasting water without the bottles. But a spent filter sends people straight back to the shop. That's where a water filtration service pays for itself. Just Water Co's Care Plan covers filter changes every 6 or 12 months depending on your system, flow and pressure checks, priority service and reminders.

Ways to keep home water filtration cost down

Families and homeowners

Match the system to your water. Mains homes usually don't need UV or an iron stage. Compare quotes on the five-year cost, and ask what's included in the install.

New home buyers

Ask the seller about any existing system, its age and its last service. If nobody knows, budget for a fresh set of cartridges. A free water assessment is a good starting point, and Just Water Co offers interest-free payment plans through Humm and Zip.

Rural and regional residents

Test your water first, so you only buy the stages you need. Regional sites can cost more to service. One Queensland guide puts regional plumbers 10% to 20% above metro rates. Just Water Co's service area includes the Kimberley and the South West.

Apartment owners

Under-sink filtration systems suit apartments best. They cost about $150 to $500 installed and need no outside plumbing. Check with your body corporate before any plumbing changes.

FAQs

How much does a home water filtration system cost?

Australian 2026 guides put under-sink systems at about $150 to $500 installed, reverse osmosis at $500 to $1,200 and a 3-stage whole home system at $1,300 to $2,800. Systems with UV can reach $5,500 or more. Your final quote depends on pipework, water source and access. Ask for it in writing.

How much does whole home water filtration cost for bore water?

Bore water setups usually run about $2,500 to $6,000 or more installed, because they add an iron and manganese stage. Tank or rainwater systems with UV sit around $2,000 to $4,500. Test your water first so you only pay for the stages you need. Ask for an itemised written quote.

What are the running costs of a water filter?

Upkeep ranges from about $30 to $160 a year for under-sink units, $100 to $200 for reverse osmosis and $150 to $300 for a 3-stage whole home system. UV systems run about $250 to $500. Cartridges change every 6 to 12 months and UV lamps yearly. Budget for it each year.

Is a water filter cheaper than bottled water?

Usually, yes. Choice reports bottled water can cost up to about 2,000 times more than tap, and Perth's first-tier water rate works out to roughly 0.2 cents a litre. A filter adds install and cartridge costs, but they spread across years of drinking water. Compare five-year costs to be sure.

Is whole home water filtration worth the cost?

It treats every tap, shower and laundry, so chlorine taste is gone everywhere. Carbon doesn't reduce hardness, though, and water in the Hillarys area reads 120 mg/L. Weigh the install cost against how many taps you want filtered, and ask about scale control separately. Get a free water assessment first.

Looking at home water filtration cost for your Hillarys home? Just Water Co is WA owned and operated, and its Perth metro service area includes Hillarys. It fits under-sink filtration systems, whole home water systems and bore water systems, and quotes after a free water assessment. Interest-free payment plans are available through Humm and Zip. Book your free water test at justwaterco.com.au or call 08 9129 4470.