Smelly Water? What You Need to Know

Have you noticed odd smells in your tap water or other water coming into your home? This isn’t uncommon, but depending on the level of the smell, you may be quite put off by it.

Atlantic Coast Water Clinic of Stuart, FL, would like to share some tips on how to diagnose and address smelly-water issues.

Diagnosing smelly water

Step one in handling your smelly water issue is to determine where the smell is coming from.

Is the smell affecting water from every faucet in your home, or just certain faucets? In either case, if you’ve just started noticing the odor, run some water through the affected faucets for a few minutes. This may clear it up.

If running water eliminates the problem, the issue probably lies in your plumbing system or your pipes and fixtures, not your water source.

If you detect the smell only in hot water, there could be a problem with the magnesium rod in your hot water tank. If the smell is present in both hot and cold water, either the plumbing system or the water source could be at fault.

Strong bleach odor

Agencies that supply public water add chlorine to the supply as a disinfectant. Chlorine levels are typically between 0.2 and 2.0 parts per million (PPM). Put a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. The cool temperature likely will remove the smell.

You can also test your water or have it tested. If it measures over 2.0 PPM, contact your water supply authority or health department in your area.

Note that after a storm, you may notice more of a bleachy smell in your water. This should dissipate if you just run the water for a short time.

Rotten eggs smell

Sulfur bacteria growth is usually responsible for this odor. Often this growth is happening in the household drain(s), not in the water. Fill a glass and move away from the sink. You may notice that the water smells fine.
Excess bacteria can also grow in the water heater and within the main water source and produce this smell.

If both hot and cold water have the rotten eggs smell, and the drain isn’t at fault, the problem is likely in the water source. If the smell is only in the hot water, have a plumber look at the water heater and consider replacing the magnesium rod with an aluminum rod. This should solve the odor problem.

Contact your water authority if the smell is present in all your water. Consider also that a defective septic tank could lead to this problem.

Getting to the bottom of smelly water issues

Bad water taste or smell are two fairly common problems homeowners in Florida report. If these problems are caused by something other than your local main water source, you should take the necessary steps to eliminate the issue.

If the water source is the root of the problem, Atlantic Coast Water Clinic can set you up with a high-quality water treatment system that will give you delicious water every time you’re thirsty.

Sometimes, a treatment system is an easier and more economical solution than attempting to investigate and resolve smelly water problems that originate in your main water source.

If you’d like to know more about the many water options available to you in the Stuart, FL, area, speak with a residential water treatment expert today at (772) 283-4767. You can also reach out through our handy contact form.