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Water Odors:
How to Identify & Cure Other Smells & Tastes in Drinking Water
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Here we describe other, less common sources of water odors or smells. This article series, beginning at WATER ODORS discusses how to identify, diagnose, and cure common as well as unusual odors that may be present in drinking water. We also
discuss which of these odors may warn of unsanitary conditions.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Other Common Water Smells or Odors
Let's take a closer look at some other reasons why drinking water may be smelly be and what you should do.
- Chlorine odors in drinking water:
While we can't cover all of the possibilities here, we can talk about some different odors and their causes. If your water smells
like chlorine, you're most likely on a municipal system and it is chlorine that you smell.
Chlorine is quite volatile and doesn't stick around in water - if you run water from a tap into a pitcher and let it sit, the
chlorine will dissipate pretty quickly. People who want to avoid chlorine in their water can install a treatment system
such as charcoal filtering to remove it.
If your home water smells like chlorine and you have a chlorinator installed for water disinfection, make sure the equipment is properly adjusted.
If you have just shocked your water well to try to sanitize the well (WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE) it is possible that you have not run enough water to flush out all of that chlorine (bleach).
If you have just sanitized your water softener it is possible that you have not run enough water to flush out all of that chlorine (bleach).
See Chlorine - sources in drinking water for details about how chlorine may be appearing in drinking water.
- A musty, dank, or brackish odor in water is often
times attributed to chloride in your water, but it could also be 2-methyl-isoborneal (MIB).
- A sweet, organic smell in water might indicate
m-xylene, and styrene in your water will make you think of model airplane glue.
- A "greenish -chlorophyll-like" odor in water might be grass
in your well, but is probably an algae growth.
- Soap or rubber odors in water:
Some things are just what they smell like, for example soap will smell like soap, and
rubber hose will smell like rubber hose!
- Other sources of odors in water are discussed in our edited EPA article on water pollution: see WATER POLLUTANT SOURCES for those details.
Before Buying Water Treatment Equipment
A water treatment company will often be willing to test your water and will recommend just what equipment you need.
Just be sure first that the odor source is a problem in your water source and not in the building piping or equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Scott Bradley, author. Scott Bradley is Laboratory Director for Aquacheck Laboratory, Inc. PO Box 87 05151 1-800-263-9596.
A more brief version of this article appeared in Aquacheck Laboratory's Water Wisdom Tips and Newsletter, Issue # 6, 2007. www.Aquacheck-VT.com offers other water supply tips in its Water Wisdom section.
The laboratory also provides water test kits and offers a free newsletter.
- Thanks to Arlene Puentes for the photograph of a toilet tank with sulphur bacteria and debris showing as black goop. Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. Photographs © Arlene Puentes 2006 All Rights Reserved. Text © Daniel Friedman Arlene Puentes 2008 All Rights Reserved
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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