Like water hardness, acidity is a natural condition of some well water that is a nuisance but generally not a health hazard. H 2 S is a mineral that is released from the earth and finds its way into groundwater. If your water smells like ammonia, it’s not rocket science, probably ammonia compounds are present in it. If what’s in your water tastes like dirt and smells like dirt, it might actually be dirt. A number of factors can cause tap water to smell bad, including concentrations of metal from the pipes used to deliver it, organisms living in the water, chemicals used to remove organisms living in the water, and environmental contaminants. From sulfur to musty and sewage odors, here are five common strange well water smells and their causes. What makes it smell like metal? We are renting a home that has a well water supply system. Water that smells like fuel or oil has most likely been contaminated with petroleum products that have leaked out of a damaged fuel tank. When you encounter a gross onion smell in your tap water, you can take steps to get the smell out of the water. While not typically harmful, offensive odors are nuisances, and can usually be fixed. Water that tastes like metal when it comes from the refrigerator has a sharp, biting flavor. Unfortunately, however, water could also smell metallic because it contains lead. Not surprisingly, this is a consequence of high levels of iron in your well water. There could be a number of things that make water taste like metal. Anonymous. I have rusty well water and it smells like metal!? If your home draws water from a well, you may have experienced rotten egg smells coming from your water. Call us today for water softeners in Barrington. Drinking water can expose people to a variety of harmful pollutants and pathogens. Do you have red/black water problems? Last Updated November 23, 2020 by Anthony. Many water contaminants contain some metal. Super-aeration works too, but that's 3-5k$, so that is rarely used except if there is lots of radon as well (like me). I live in an oldish, but not so old, I don't think anyways, apartment complex if that helps any. In rare cases, pollution can cause the gas to form. Water with a pH below 7.0 is considered acidic; above 7.0 it is basic or alkaline. If your hot water smells particularly metallic, flush your water heater. Here are a few possibilities: Removing the rod can remove the smell, but shorten the life of your water heater tank. at my campground out in the country the water smells like eggs because it contains alot of sulfur. A little sulfer egg smell, to be expected. My water has always smells mostly like rotten eggs. Sulfur bacteria samples are difficult to collect and ... MY WATER SMELLS LIKE FUEL OIL OR DIESEL FUEL, CONTINUED POSSIBLE PROBLEM HEALTH CONCERN? Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas that can exist naturally in groundwater. Relevance. Rotten Egg Smell. On the other hand, if your water smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, there could be decaying organic matter in the groundwater causing an emission of hydrogen sulfide gases. My advice would be to get a water softener because it could remove some excess minerals. 1 Answer. This problem is usually the most relevant for homeowners with well water supply. Well owner's are responsible for protecting their drinking water. Odors from tap water are a common complaint and usually signify nothing dangerous. Answer Save. One of the most common reasons water tastes like metal is because . ... (30 year old) home that’s on a well system. tap water almost always contains a large concentration of dissolved minerals. If it's a well, acid water can eat pipes. If your water tastes like bleach, it is probably due to elevated levels of chlorine –a chemical added to 98% of U.S. public water systems as a disinfectant. Generally, a sewage-like or rotten egg odor in your tap water results when sulfur-reducing bacteria grow in your drain, water heater, or well. However, if your water comes from a private ground well, your water is not subject to the EPA’s regulations for water systems. There are neutralizer filters for low pH. Did I do it right? If you can screw on a water hose then you can install this system. The Sulfur Eliminator can eliminate that also. Our water filters have been bringing clean, healthy water and peace of mind to families like yours for over forty years. It’s especially common in well water located near shale, sandstone, coal, peat, or oil. When we moved in, we were told that the water runs through a filteration system. Water Smells like Rotten Eggs. My water smells like rust swear it's like I'm bathing with a rusty pipe, it's very hard as well, even watching your hands you still have the smell of rust or whatever it is.I had a new heater put in last year. Call Angel Water Inc. in Barrington, IL at 847-382-7800 for your FREE consultation. The Sulfur Eliminator uses your well system to function and no other power is needed. But have before. Our product is a maintenance free system that is installed on any tap/spigot on the well system. As metallic pipes age and corrode, metal particulates chip away from the walls and enter the water supply. Sediment From Your City Water Or Well. My hot water smells like rotten eggs: Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs. connections, metal piping and well casing. Hot Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs? Sulfur is the typical culprit behind the infamous rotten egg smell. 1 decade ago. Metal particulates also build up in water heaters over time. The odor issues can cause numerous problems for the inhabitants, and often becomes a topic of conversation when guests are around. If you get your water from a well and are smelling a chlorine or bleach odor, you may need to have your water system flushed. Some sulfur bacteria form deposits that can clog a well screen and pump piping. Iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are just some of what could be making your water have that metal taste. Sediment. I put Iron out in my softener system let it sit a while then flushed out the water. which is why it could taste and smell like metal. OTHER CLUES & CONSIDERATIONS CONFIRM IT POSSIBLE FIXES LICENSE REQUIRED Generally, private wells do not receive the same services that wells supplying the public do. Murky water is yet another sign of a potential pump problem. Installing a water filter or water softener (which removes excess minerals from your water) will fix the problem in this case. Chlorine Small amounts (levels below 4 mg/L) of added chlorine are not harmful to your health. The water was nice, soft, really no smell... the the hot summer months came. When you get into your shower, the last thing you want to do is clean yourself in water than smells like onions. Could it be hard water? I followed the instructions on the bottle. Water brochure UWSP-Well Water Quality Viewer Center for Watershed Science and Education, UW-Stevens Point ... MY WATER SMELLS LIKE SOLVENTS OR PAINT THINNER, CONTINUED POSSIBLE PROBLEM HEALTH ... corrosion of metal pipes. If the water tastes bad from all water sources in your house, then perhaps it is coming from your city water supply or well. We have well water (that is filtered) and it comes out odorless from every other outlet except the one faucet. There are a number of ways sulfur bacteria can enter the well, but the most common is the absence of oxygen, which creates sulfide gas. This could be another reason your house water smells like metal. However, in order to make sure well water is safe to The rotten egg smell in well water comes from hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced by certain bacteria in the groundwater. The water smelled like burning metals and had a lot of black crud coming out of the faucets. These unpleasant smells are commonly described as ”water smells like rotten eggs” or ”sulfur smell in hot water”.. I have noticed it more in my shower and I rarely notice it from kittchen or any other place. The U.S. EPA doesn’t regulate the pH level in drinking water, but it recommends levels from 6.5 to 8.5. Usually, if your water smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, the reason is because your water has high Hydrogen Sulfide (H 2 S) content. But for those who do it can be horrible. there are actually trace elements of metal in your water. If your well water smells like dirt… Whether you would describe the smell as musty, earthy, or dirty, you’re effectively describing the same thing: iron bacteria in your water supply. And it’s a common problem for water from private wells. Obviously: Such a contaminants“cocktail” is hardly suitable for drinking. Chemical reactions inside water heaters can also produce sulfur bacteria. Most people don't have a problem with their hot water smelling bad. Public water systems use water treatment and monitoring to protect consumers from such contaminants. gas that smells bad. To be blunt, “if it smells and tastes like dirt, it’s probably dirt.” Sometimes sediment from your water supply may find its way through your plumbing. As far as it looked in the basement, it looked all good. Send a sample to a laboratory certified by DNR to perform sulfate analyses. Plumbing and water treatment companies are often faced with complaints pertaining to bad odors emanating from the water heaters. To fix the problem, we’ll need to find the root cause of the gas. Effects on health Sulfur bacteria are not harmful. Water that tastes or smells like a wet dog may be caused by metal plumbing, bacteria, treatment chemicals or organic material in the source water, according to Waterlogic, a water … The problem is that the water (very often well water) reacts with the magnesium rod in the water heater and makes the water smell more like something from a … Is there anything else I can do? See WATER STAINING CONTAMINANTS for an explanation of how iron and manganese bacteria in a water supply system piping or tanks or heaters and water tanks can produce odors including sewage-like smells. Hydrogen sulfide can be fatal in high doses, and it's flammable, but because it has such a distinctive odor, it's usually detected well before it becomes dangerous. Water with a lot of copper from etched pipes smells rusty too, actually. 1. 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