How To Get Rid of Bad-Smelling Water
No matter what nasty odor your tap water is giving off, you don’t want to drink it. But where is that odor coming from, and how do you fix it? Don’t worry; we have the answers! Here’s how to get rid of bad-smelling water.
Bleach
Drinking chemicals is always a bad thing. This bleach-like smell likely indicates chlorine, which is actually a very common chemical used to keep water drinkable. It’s not harmful in proper amounts, but it doesn’t taste good. Tap water usually includes chlorine at levels of 0.2 – 2.0 parts per million (PPM). If your water smells a little over-sanitized, you can get a chlorine test kit and see if your levels exceed 2.0 PPM. If so, contact your county health department and inform them.
Levels lower than 2.0 PPM are safe to drink, but you can try to get the chemical taste out of your water by filling a pitcher with the tap water and refrigerating it. The odor will dissipate after a few hours, and you’ll be all set to sip!
Rotten Eggs
A smell like rotten eggs or sulfur means that bacteria has started growing somewhere in the pipeline connected to your faucet. It could be in your drain, your water heater, or even the water source itself. Bacteria in your drain is most likely food waste and is, thankfully, not connected to your tap water.
Fill a glass with tap water and bring it away from your sink. Wait a few minutes and smell the tap water. If it doesn’t have that sulfurous odor, the problem is in your drain. Clean your drain with baking soda and vinegar to breathe easy again!
Earthy
Fishy and earthy smells are unpleasant but not harmful. If the odor proves too much to take, you can try the same method used to eradicate the sulfurous smell. It is possible, however, that the fishy odor is coming from a source other than your drain. Your well water could be polluted from surface drainage, which can be fixed by shock chlorinating the well and pumping water until the chlorine smell disappears.
What To Do?
You can avoid these problems (and their tedious solutions) by switching to a water filtration system. Alamo Water Softeners can help! If you want an escape from these chemicals, odors, and bad tastes, take a look at some water filtration systems in San Antonio, Texas. Now that you know how to get rid of bad-smelling water, pour yourself a glass and enjoy some refreshing H2O!
