Smelly Water
What is Causing My Smelly Water?
Before your water enters your home, it can pick up smelly contaminants - from the soil around private wells, miles of underground utility pipes or even the local municipal water source itself. Many municipalities add chlorine to offset the problems caused by these contaminants, but this only makes you water smell worse! You may not be able to see these contaminants, but as soon as you turn on the tap or lift a glass to your face, something is obviously not right.
Common water odor problems include –
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A “rotten-egg” odor due to hydrogen sulfide in the soil near your well
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A musty, woody smell due to organic contaminants like algae or total dissolved solids (TDS)
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A “bleachy” smell due to chlorine added in by municipalities
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A soapy or chemical smell due to contaminated private wells
Why Does My Water Smell Like Sulfur?
The common source of smelly water is water heaters. Anaerobic bacteria that naturally occur in water can react with the magnesium and aluminum anodes to produce hydrogen sulfide gas. If you notice the rotten egg smell when you run hot water but not cold, this is probably what’s going on.
It’s also common for water to smell like rotten eggs after the water heater has been idle. For example, you might turn your water heater off before going on vacation and discover a sulfur odor upon turning it back on once you’ve returned.
Why Does My Water Smell Fishy?
Fishy-smelling water can be due to the presence of barium, cadmium, chloramine, or even algal blooms.
Barium is a metal found in mineral ores. It can seep into wells and pipes, causing the odd fishy odor. Cadmium is also a metal that can seep into pipes from industrial waste or fertilizer contamination.
If your water has enough ammonia in it, the ammonia can react with the chlorine that the EPA adds to disinfect your water to form chloramine. The fishy smell of your water could be attributed to the presence of this compound.
In some cases, lakes and reservoirs can have algal blooms form during the summer. Depending on where you get your water, algae particles could seep into your drinking water causing a musty, mildew-y, or fishy smell.
Get Rid of Your Smelly Water
One of the things you can do to get fresher water in your home is to install the correct water treatment system. You may currently have one installed in your home, but it may not be designed to address odors from your water. WaterBliss is an independent dealer that can offer you several solutions to either complement your current water treatment system or offer the whole house solution you need.
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