Is Your Tap Water Messing With Your Hormones?

Here’s What You Should Know

When it comes to hormone health, we often focus on food, exercise, and supplements — and for good reason. But there’s one piece of the puzzle that’s often overlooked, and it’s something most of us use every single day: our drinking water.

We are lucky here in Australia to have safe drinking water - however, there are still reported concerns of chemical substances such as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Once these chemicals are in the environment they do not break down, and whilst it’s normal to have small amounts present in the human body, the question remains of how much is too much (Landow, 2024). We might now be able to eliminate all of them in the environment, but we certainly can reduce our exposure by switching out something we consume every single day. 

What’s In Tap Water?

Australian tap water is considered safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean it’s free from things that might mess with our bodies over time. Here’s what can commonly show up in tap water:

• Chlorine – used to disinfect water, but it can irritate the gut lining and impact your microbiome

• Heavy metals like lead, copper and mercury – known to disrupt hormone production and metabolism

• Pesticide residues – small amounts from agricultural runoff may be present even after treatment

• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) – substances that can mimic or interfere with your hormones, including things like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS ("forever chemicals"). Read more here

Studies have linked long-term, low-dose exposure to EDCs with issues like irregular cycles, PCOS symptoms, thyroid changes, and reduced fertility (Gore 2015, Vandeburg 2012, Gonsioroski 2021). 

Why This Matters for Hormone Health

Your endocrine (hormone) system is highly sensitive. Even small exposures to certain chemicals can disrupt how hormones are made, circulated, and cleared from your body.

If you’re already managing hormonal conditions like PCOS, endometriosis or thyroid issues — or you’re working on fertility — reducing the load on your system can make a real difference. That includes what you eat, what you put on your skin… and yes, what you drink. I consider this as one of those additional changes you can make - think of it like another tool to your belt to help with reaching your goals. 

So What’s the Solution?

You don’t need to panic or overhaul your life. But you can take a simple step that makes a big impact: filtering your water.

I now use the Earth’s Water 9L Eco Benchtop Filter with the bamboo base — and I love it!  Here's why:

• Removes chlorine, heavy metals, microplastics, and other common contaminants

• Keeps in the minerals your body actually needs, like magnesium and potassium

• Requires no plumbing and looks beautiful on the kitchen bench

• Improves taste, which makes drinking enough water way easier

They also have some great undersink filtration systems which I will definitely look into in the future for my kitchen renovations.

My Honest Take

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about reducing the little things that might be adding up — and choosing options that support your health long-term. Filtering your water is one of the most low-effort, high-impact changes you can make. 

If you’re working on hormone balance, energy, digestion, or future fertility, it’s worth paying attention to what’s in your glass. Clean water = one less thing your body has to work against.

Need help figuring out what changes will actually move the needle for your hormones?
That’s what I do. You can book a consult, join my 12-week program - Nourish, or check out my free meal plan creator here.

References

Landow, 2024, ​​PFAS 'forever chemicals' above drinking water guidelines in global source water, UNSW.

Gore et al., 2015. EDC-2: The Endocrine Society's Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. Endocrine Reviews.

Vandenberg et al., 2012. Hormones and endocrine-disrupting chemicals: low-dose effects and nonmonotonic dose responses. Endocrine Reviews.

Gonsioroski A, Mourikes VE, Flaws JA., 2021. Endocrine Disruptors in Water and Their Effects on the Reproductive System. Int J Mol Sci.