HELP! My water smells like rotten eggs!
Water containing hydrogen sulfide usually does not pose a health risk but does give water a nuisance “rotten egg” smell and taste.
A sulfur smell in water is the result of a microbial breakdown of organic material that produces a water-soluble gas, hydrogen sulfide. This gas is prevalent in sewers and swamps and produces a smell more pungent when the water table is low. If you’ve been experiencing a dry period and rain is infrequent, you might notice that rotten egg smell more than other times of the year.
Is Hydrogen Sulfide Harmful?
In the typical concentrations of household water, hydrogen sulfide itself is rarely harmful. What makes it a nasty element is the effect the gas has on plumbing parts, especially metals that can corrode. When your metal piping corrodes from hydrogen sulfide, the resulting water is black and can damage silverware, dishes, water softeners, and even washing machines. For these reasons and the rotten egg smell, treating your water is the best option when dealing with hydrogen sulfide.
Effective Water Treatment Systems Eliminate Hydrogen Sulfide From Your Water.
Choosing a water treatment system to deal with foul smelling water can take a significant amount of research or just one resource. We have the technical experience to recommend and supply systems to eliminate harmful elements in your water. When dealing with a sulfur smell in water, we recommend two methods of dealing with hydrogen sulfide:
- Carbon Filtration. By absorbing the hydrogen sulfide, an activated carbon filter minimizes the unpleasant taste in your water. As long as you keep changing out the filter, the foul taste and nasty smell will lessen.
- Aeration. When hydrogen sulfide levels are too high for carbon filtration to be effective, aeration is your next best option. Aeration adds air to water to strip the hydrogen sulfide from the water, minimizing that rotten egg smell.
Give us a call to schedule an appointment or email us any questions you may have – [email protected].