Odors

The treatment options for odors vary with the source and the concentration of the odor. Aside from chlorine compounds, most odors reported to us from clients on municipally treated water, are a result of decaying organic material, from decaying distribution lines, or from water heaters in the home. The most common odors we have encountered from private water systems we serve are typically the result of microbial activity, or compounds of iron, manganese or sulfur.

Identify whether the odor is in the source water, or whether it is being created in your piping or water heater by microbial action.

Is the odor in the cold water outside the house, (run a hose bib)? If this is the case, your source water may actually contain the odor, and depending on the situation, you may be able to filter the water as it flows in to your house or building.

If you are on chlorinated city water and your water from an outside hose bib has a strong odor, then an activated carbon system may remove the odor. If you are on your own private water system, then you may need to aerate the water in a holding tank, and in many cases chlorinate or ozonate the water before filtration to properly treat for odor.

If the odor is in the cold water inside your house or building only, then you likely have iron or old galavanized piping, or some part of your plumbing contains iron piping. Various strains of iron bacteria live in iron piping and give off methane and hydrogen sulfide gas as they decay, causing the odor. These same bacteria often thrive only in water heaters (yes even new water heaters!) regardless of the type of piping you have. For this type of problem, you can have a plumber add a couple of cups of bleach to the water heater. Let the hot water run until you smell the bleacn. Let the water heater sit for several hours. This will usually eliminate the odor. If the odor returns in a few days or few weeks, then one would have to have a plumber replace the magnesium anode rod inside the water heater with an aluminum anode rod.

Since water containing small amounts of iron and manganese can cause odors to develop, often the best first step in determining what is causing the odor, especially if you are on your own private well or water source, is to get an accurate water analysis. You can also fill out an online technical request form and one of our water technicians will assist you in trying to identify the cause of the problem and recommend a solution.