Why Does My Water Taste, Smell and Look Bad?

In previous blog posts we’ve talked about how to make sure your family’s water supply is safe. Now we’ll address that age old question, “Why does my water taste, smell or look so bad.”

Although O.K. to drink, water with nasty smells and discoloration can be hard to swallow.

Common Complaints

Two common complaints in our area are that my water smells like rotten eggs or has a metallic taste and also appearance. Although drinking this water may not be so appealing, it is generally not harmful to your health.

Tap water that tastes or smells like rotten eggs or sulfur likely contains hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is released when a certain kind of bacteria is present in the water or somewhere in your water system. Drains, water heaters, wells, and the inside of pipes can harbor bacteria.

Water that has a choline taste or smell is not usually a cause for concern. Tap water is disinfected with chlorine to make it clean and safe to drink, so the smell is likely left from the treatment process.

Water with heavy iron content can also give off a metallic taste and leave a red stain in your sinks and toilets. Water that contains iron is not harmful to drink.

Having Clear, Pure Water

Although in most cases water that smells like rotten eggs or turns your toilets red, is not harmful to your health, that still doesn’t make it taste or smell any better … or very appealing to drink. For some, the solution is to buy bottled water which can be costly and has a negative environmental impact.

Reverse osmosis water filtration systems provide clear, clean water free from impurities.

Home Water Filtration System

An alternative to bottled water is to install a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration system which is designed to filter salt, deposits, minerals, and even odors from the water entering your home.

The water passes through the filter’s membrane into a tank where it is stored and ready to drink. It becomes clean water free from impurities. Whether your home utilizes city or well water, a RO water filtration system provides cleaner, better tasting water.

Reverse osmosis systems are compact, fit under the kitchen sink, and provide 50 gallons of drinking water each day. The water flows through a dedicated dispenser, installed next to your kitchen faucet. It is easily accessible to anyone in your household.

Benefits of Clear, Clean Water

Having clear, clean water with no offending odors and tastes, will encourage you to drink water more frequently which is important for our overall health. Not purchasing bottled water reduces the amount of plastic we need to dispose of and lessens the environmental impact of producing and recycling plastic bottles. Installing a reverse osmosis water system will also eliminate the need to buy bottled water saving time and money.