Why does my water smell?
It can be pretty unsettling to turn on the faucet and get a whiff of rotten eggs. Or to take a sip of tap water and instead of quenching your thirst, getting a metallic taste in your mouth. While bad tasting or smelling water is unpleasant, it’s not uncommon. Finding the source of the problem is the first step to returning to odorless, clean tasting water.
If the problem is the rotten egg smell, the culprit is likely hydrogen sulfide. Water absorbs this gas as it travels through the ground. The gas is vented from your tap water when you turn on the faucet. An aeration system can pump air into the water to turn the gas into elemental sulfur, which can be removed with a filtration system. And you once again have odorless water!
If the smell is more musty or earthy in nature, then Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) might be the issue. TDS are any compounds left in your drinking water after the normal treatment and filtration process. They originate from natural sources such as sewage, urban and agricultural run-off, and industrial wastewater. In addition to the musty/earthy smell, TDS can also give your water a salty, bitter, or metallic taste. Doesn’t exactly sound refreshing, does it? No worries, though, because a water filtration system can help give your family the best drinking water possible!
Maybe the smell and taste of your drinking water reminds you of the local pool. If so, chlorine is the problem. Chlorine is an important part of the water treatment process, killing harmful bacteria and protecting your health, but it should be filtered out long before it reaches your home. Not only does it taste and smell bad, it also can irritate your eyes and nose in the shower, shorten the life of your appliances by drying out the rubber seals, and, since chlorine is essentially bleach, fade your clothes in the wash. A water filtration system can get rid of chlorine before it harms you or your belongings!
If your drinking water smells and tastes like metal, there are a variety of substances that can be the cause. Copper, iron, and lead are the most likely. In low concentrations copper and iron aren’t harmful, but they may slightly discolor your water. High amounts of iron lead to rusty water, which can cause all sorts of problems. Rusty water can stain your appliances and your clothes and ruin your pipes.
Even more of a concern, though, is lead, because it can impact your health. Lead generally enters tap water due to the corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder. As these systems age, they are more likely to leach lead into the water. Some ways to reduce the amount of lead in your home drinking water include running the faucet for a couple of minutes before using the water and only taking cold water from the tap since hot water is more likely to contain lead. If you’re concerned about the level of lead in your home drinking water, the only way to tell for sure is to have it tested.
From testing your water to diagnosing the problem to making the necessary repairs or installing the proper filtration system, the professionals at Brenneco can help deliver the highest quality drinking water right to your own home faucet! Take the first step toward a more healthy and refreshing future by scheduling a consultation with one of our highly skilled plumbers today!
