Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs? [Reasons + Fix]

Everyone wants water to be pure and taste great.
Even a little smell can put off anyone’s mood & It gets extreme when water smells like rotten eggs.  
But…

Why does your water smell like rotten eggs?

​The reason behind water smelling like rotten eggs is due to sulfur-reducing bacteria that goes on to release hydrogen sulfide gas. These bacteria are commonly found in oxygen deficient sources. 

In this post you will learn about why it happens in detail and how to fix it. ​

Why Does Your Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs? ( Reasons) ​

Sulfur reducing bacteria is the reason behind causing that awful smell, but where did these bacteria come from?

There can be 3 main reasons behind your water smelling like rotten eggs. 


1. Water Supply 

Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) lives in Oxygen deficient environments, & one of the best places for them to live is deep water wells. 

These bacteria feed on decaying organic matter and release hydrogen sulfide gas, this gas gets trapped inside water is the reason why your water smells like rotten eggs. 

Another reason can be poorly treated water supply.  

2. Water Heater  

If you smell rotten egg’s smell only in hot tap water the culprit here is your Water Heater. 

Water heater contains magnesium rod, (anode rod) and aluminum when these two react they also produce hydrogen sulfide gas. 

3. Plumbing Issue 

If you only experience this rotten egg smelling water only in one room or faucet, the reason here can be your plumbing pipes. 

As these pipes can also have very low levels of oxygens and allow sulfur reducing bacteria to munch on sulfur and produce hydrogen sulfide gas.

To check the levels of Sulfur in Your Water, you can call us @ 5743672407​ for free water testing. ​

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How to Fix Rotten Egg Smelling Water? 

Well for sure no one wants to drink water that smells like rotten eggs, it even sounds disgusting. 

So, what's the fix? ​

Install a Fleck 5600 SXT AIO Air Injection Oxidizing Water Filter system

This Air injection system will remove the Sulfur in your entire home along with removing both iron and sulfur.  No chemicals and nothing to additives after that fact.  Air injection creates a pocket of air in the system to super oxidize your water for optimal filtration. 

Install an RO system - 5 stage Reverse Osmosis System

One of the obvious fixes is to install an RO system, it might sound expensive but in the long run it is quite cost-effective and is the cheapest way to fix the problem. ​

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Reverse Osmosis System - 5 stage - RO system water system

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Chlorination 

​Chlorination is a powerful technique that can be used to kill bacteria in the water.

And is quite budget friendly. 


Clear Pipes 

If pipes are the culprit then you need to clear them up. 

For this turn on all faucets for about 5-10 minutes this will wash away any bacteria hiding in the pipes. 


Clean Your Water Heater 

If you get this smell only when you use hot tap water, then you need to clean your water heater. 

For this first turn it off and flush all the water out. 

Then refill it, and turn on the heater and set it to 160 degrees. This high temperature will kill all the bacteria living inside. If that doesn't work have a plumber change the anode rod in the water heater.  



Does this bad smelling water cause any health issues? 

Surprisingly enough however impure or disgusting the water might seem due to its smell. 

It doesn’t cause any health issues. 

Although if present in very high amounts (600 mg/l -1000mg/l) it can cause dehydration but otherwise it has little to no adverse effect. 


Conclusion: 

I hope this article has helped you understand what was causing that awful smell in your water and how you can get rid of it. 

If you still have any doubts, do let us know in the comment section.

We will be happy to help you. 

Also, checkout our products and services.