TABLE 1.

Mineral composition of tap water across Australia, compared with average mineral content in bottled still and sparkling water available in Australia

	Median/mean mineral composition (mg/L)
	Calcium	Magnesium	Bicarbonate	Sodium	Potassium	Sulphates
Brisbane	20.33	11.2	79	43	2.9	26
Gold coast	16	2.7	56	17
Sydney a	14.1	4.3	40.3	15	2.3	8.1
Canberra	14.3	1.43	53	3	0.7	4
Melbourne	3.6	1.1	15.9	4	0.58	<1.5
Adelaide	19.7	10	55	47.1	3.23	37.4
Townsville	10	2		14	2	<1
Cairns	1.3	1.05	12	4.8	0.7	0.7
Darwin	5	5	36.6	3	0.4	<0.3
Perth			61.4	33.3
Bottled still water b	18	4	130	6.6	0.7	6.6
Bottled sparkling water b	37.8	19	233	7	1	16
Recommended dietary intake (mg/day)	1000–1300	255–420	n/a	460–920	2800–3800	n/a

^a Median values for Sydney extrapolated from the 10‐90th percentile range.

^b Stoots et al. ³³