Plumbers in Charlotte Explain Causes of Smelly Drinking Water

Thirsty as you might be, you won't want to chug that glass if you've got smelly drinking water. If you’ve ever noticed a gross smell coming from the glass of water you’re about to drink, you’ve likely got one of several issues. Here are a few of the most common ones and what to do about them.

Reasons Your Water Smells Bad

Sulfur

If your water smells a bit like rotten eggs, you’ve got a case of too much sulfur in your water. This can be a seasonal issue and might resolve on its own so don’t be too worried. Sulfur isn’t harmful, but it can cause diarrhea if you drink too much of it.

Summery Pool Water

On a lovely, hot July day the smell of chlorine can be a welcome scent. But in your clear glass of drinking water, it’s a lot less pleasing. This is actually caused by extra chlorine in the water, and isn’t harmful unless concentrations are very high.

Earthy Smell

This scent is caused by decaying plant matter in reservoirs and lakes in the summer and is generally not harmful.

Metal Taste or Smell

Indeed, caused by excess amounts of metal in the water, the culprits could be iron (which would also turn it a rusty color), lead or copper. Municipalities are required to maintain safe levels of lead in city water, so if your water smells metallic and there is no color, it may be time to be concerned. If your pipes are old, they may be corroding and the metallic taste is due to corrosion.

Other Bad Odors

This probably means you have a crack or breakage in the water line and you have contamination from the earth surrounding the pipe getting into your water. Anything could be getting into the water, so if you notice a generally bad smell that’s none of the above, it’s best to call your local water company or a plumber.

Need a Charlotte Plumber to Improve that Smelly Drinking Water?

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Does your Charlotte drinking water smell funky? Find out why.

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: Why does my water taste or smell like metal?

Your water may taste or smell like metal because of excess amounts of iron, lead, or copper. Municipalities must maintain safe levels of lead in city water, so if your water smells metallic and there is no color, it may be time to be concerned. If your pipes are old, they may be corroding, which is why it tastes metallic.