What’s that smell?

Whenever a homeowner experiences an unpleasant drinking water odor, it can be scary. Your first instinct is to think that the water is contaminated and dangerous to drink, then panic starts to set in. Is it the pipes? Is the water treatment facility not working? Has the family already drank too much of this contaminated water? Unfortunately, this situation is all too familiar to homeowners who drink tap water, so knowing what to expect and how to treat the water within your household is important.
In many cases, determining why the water has an odor is difficult to do with regular water testing. Usually, contaminants are not something you can smell in your water. However, the UGA Extension has created a useful tool to figuring out what might be going on with your water.
Sinks and drains are a common source of odors due to bacterial growth. Disinfect your sinks and drains and flush them well to see if this helps with the odor. It is important to isolate the source of the odor, which can be done by filling a glass with water and moving it away from the sink. Do you still smell it? If not, the sink or drain could be the issue. If you do still smell the odor, the drinking water could be the source. Is it happening in all faucets? If the odor occurs in all water faucets, the problem is probably in the main water supply. If the problem goes away after running the water for a few minutes, the problem is somewhere in the household plumbing system.
Let’s assume you have a well. Water odors could be due to contamination from the surface water runoff, improperly located septic systems or leaky underground storage tanks. Typically, these types of odors resemble bleach or gasoline. If the smell is fishy, earthy or musty, that could be due to drinking water contamination.  You’ll want to be sure to have your water tested if you suspect this may be the case. Private wells are left up to the homeowner to treat and maintain. As for public water systems, if the odor is suspected to originate from the water source line, contact your water provider. This is especially true if your neighbors also experience the same type of odor problem!
To protect the quality of your drinking water, whether you have tap water or well water, a home drinking water system can be a valuable tool to filter your contaminants and maintain the safest, best water you’ve ever had. Water filters may not always help with the odor of your drinking water, but this is the perfect time to become more aware of the purification of drinking water, water quality in your home, and to install a water filtration system which will protect from other instances of water issues should they arise. Contact our company today to learn about all of the different drinking water systems we offer.