Why Does My Water Smell?
On February 16, 2025 By newsroom Topic: Health And Fitness Skills
Common Causes of Water Odors
Chlorine:
- Used in municipal water systems to kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
- Excess chlorine can leave a swimming pool-like smell.
Rotten Egg Smell:
- Caused by dimethyl disulfide, produced by microorganisms in oxygen-poor environments.
- Found in soil and natural water sources.
Musty or Earthy Aroma:
- Linked to compounds like geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, released by algae.
- Odor may be more pronounced in late summer when algae bloom and die.
Metallic Taste:
- Often from ferrous sulfate, a water-soluble form of iron in groundwater, common with well water.
Is Smelly Water Safe?
- Most odors and flavors in tap water are not harmful to health.
- However, addressing the issue can improve taste and encourage proper hydration.
How to Remove Odors and Improve Taste
- Use a Water Filter:
- Pitcher-style filters are affordable and effective.
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They excel at removing chlorine, algae compounds, and metallic flavors.
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Test Your Water:
- Consider testing well water or tap water with unusual smells.
- Find out if other contaminants are present that may require more advanced filtration.
How Experts Do Water Filter Testing
- Filters are tested by professional tasters to assess how well they neutralize odors and flavors like chlorine, rotten food, damp soil, and metallic tastes.
- Test Process:
- Pure spring water is spiked with specific odor-causing compounds.
- Filtered water is blind-tasted by 8–12 tasters who rate it for aroma and taste against pure water on a 0–10 scale (0 = pure spring water).
Top Water Filter Pitchers for Taste and Odor Removal
These models score Excellent or Very Good in tests:
Brita Everyday
Pur Plus
ZeroWater Ready-Pour
Pro Tips for Cleaner Water
- Check local water quality reports to understand your water source.
- Consider advanced filters for persistent issues or specific contaminants like heavy metals.
- Explore under-sink filters for a more permanent solution.
Smelly water is solvable with the right tools—turn your tap water into a clean, refreshing drink!
