Why Does My Tap Water Smell Bad?
Many people question if their tap water is safe to drink, cook with, or wash with because it smells horrible. Bad-smelling tap water may come from a variety of causes, ranging from chlorine to rotten eggs.
Although most of them aren’t harmful to your health, it’s still a good idea to be aware of the reasons and know when to seek testing or additional guidance. To know about the reasons of bad-smelling taps, read the article carefully.
Why Tap Water Are Salty?
Salty water is most commonly produced by increased levels of chloride or sodium in the water, although it can also be caused by sewage or salt water enters the system. If you discover a salty taste in your water, contact your local authorities to have it tested, since this may be dangerous to health, especially if you’re on a sodium-restricted diet.
If you’re concerned about a particular odour, call your local water authority and have the water examined. Even if the water turns out to be safe to drink, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you went to the trouble to check.
Why Does Tap Water Have Sewage, Trash, or Rotten Egg Bad Smells?
If bacteria grow in your water heater, sink, or drain, you might experience a musty, sewage, or egg-like smell. This is most prevalent when the sink hasn’t been used in a long time or when the temperature and humidity are greater in the summer.
- If the smell is coming from the sink or drain, follow these steps:
- Use a solution of water and baking soda or water and bleach to clean it (using a 1:1 ratio for each).
Fill the drain with the mixture and let it sit for 20 minutes before flushing with water.
A rotten egg smell can also result from a low-temperature hot water heater or the presence of hydrogen sulphide gas in the water. When water comes into contact with organic matter or specific minerals, the smell of hydrogen sulphide gas is generally apparent.
This smell is particularly prevalent in water that has been processed via rock and organic matter are also called as hard water). Although this isn’t dangerous to health, having your water tested when you first discover a change in smell is a good idea.If the fragrance has an earthiness to it, algae blooms in the water supply is responsible.
Why Tap Water Smell Like A Pool?
It is indeed possible that your tap water has excessive amounts of chlorine if it smells like a swimming pool. Because chlorine is used to clean water in many places, this smell is really not unusual.
Drinking water with typical amounts of chlorine is safe, although testing is recommended if the smell is greater than usual. After a few minutes of running the tap, the chlorine smell should fade.
Why Tap Water Have A Metallic Smell?
Corrosion in copper pipes used for your home’s plumbing might be the source of a metallic smell or taste in your water. Copper in water is usually not dangerous until it reaches concentrations of more than 1,300 parts per billion.
Water test kits may be purchased to check for the presence of metal in your tap water; however, some kits test for various metals and elements. It’s occasionally useful to run the tap for 30–60 seconds before drinking to get rid of the copper flavour.
High zinc levels and dissolved minerals including sulphates are two more causes of metallic taste in water. Neither is particularly risky, although those who aren’t used to it may have a minor laxative effect from the sulphate-containing minerals.