woman drinking water

Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

The smell of rotten eggs in the water isn’t exactly pleasant. If the smell of rotten eggs enters your home whenever you turn on the water, it is crucial to identify the source and implement a treatment immediately. Even if it poses no threat to your house or health, it is more than enough to cause you stress.

What Causes Rotten Egg Smell?

Your water likely smells like rotten eggs because it contains tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide. Even small quantities of hydrogen sulfide can give a bad smell to your water. Typically, this odor is caused by the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in your hot water heater. If you haven’t used your hot water heater for an extended period of time, this could be the source of the smell. Despite its unpleasant stench, hydrogen sulfide poses no health risks. Instead, it is merely an unpleasant odor that could discourage you from turning on the water.

In order to treat your water for hydrogen sulfide, you must determine whatever underlying factors are causing the sulfur smell. A special water filtration system is likely to be a component of your best solution, and it can also help you manage other potential contaminants.

Potential Problems with Hydrogen Sulfide

If hydrogen sulfide is present in your water supply, besides making your water smell like rotten eggs, it could also corrode various metals and leave black spots on silverware and plumbing systems. In most situations, it is absolutely safe to consume water with a strong rotten egg smell, despite the fact that it is very unpleasant. On rare occasions, though, the smell may be generated by sewage or other contaminants in a house’s water system, which may pose health risks.
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Is Water That Smells Safe To Drink?

Even if your water smells like sulfur or chlorine, it may not necessarily be harmful to drink. Nonetheless, if you notice that the odor, flavor, or look of your drinking water has changed, you should have it tested to determine the cause of the problem. This will assist you in identifying treatment solutions, even if the water is acceptable to drink, by letting you know if there is anything possibly dangerous in the water.

How to Resolve the Issue

Once the source of the issue has been identified, it is time to take action.
Here are some considerations:

Install a Whole-House Water Filtration System

A whole-house water filtration system could be the best solution to your situation. Not only will it reduce the smell, but it will also improve the water’s general quality.
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Add Water Filters

Installing water filters in your home could be a simple solution to the rotten egg odor in your water. However, this may be a temporary solution, and you will need to periodically update your water filters. It is also essential to note that filters may be the source of any rotten egg odor. If you observe certain sinks emitting an odor, replace them.
If the source of the rotten egg odor is found to be in your groundwater or distribution system, this problem will be more difficult to resolve. Contact your local distribution center to explain the issue and determine if they can assist. If the problem is caused by groundwater, it may be better to contact a professional plumber as soon as possible so that they can help diagnose the issue.

Clean the Pipes

This is accomplished by turning on all the taps in your home and allowing them to run for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off the water and wait several minutes prior to testing the water again. By cleaning up the pipes, you may be able to eliminate the odor permanently.

Clean Your Water Heater

If the odor emanates just from your hot water, the fault most likely lies with your home’s hot water heater. If the smell is originating from your water heater, you should turn it off and flush it well. Once empty, refill it, increase the temperature to 160 degrees, and allow it to run for several hours. This is generally sufficient to eliminate any bacteria. If the smell is present in both hot and cold water, there may be a problem with your plumbing or ground/well water.
Note whether the odor is emanating from all of your faucets or just a few in specific sections or rooms of your home. If the odor is restricted to specific regions, then the problem most likely resides in these drains or pipes and not in your entire water supply.

Final Words

Understanding why your water smells strange won’t change anything, but determining which water treatment system solutions will work for you requires knowing exactly what’s in your water. Find out the local water filtration company and give them a call and they will test your water and provide you with the solution.
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