The water from my faucets suddenly smells like stagnant pond water. How can I tell if it's safe to drink?
The water from my faucets suddenly smells like stagnant pond water. How can I tell if it's safe to drink?
Hi all.
This happened several months back as well in June. However, at the time, I had an incredibly old water heater that had not been serviced. I replaced it due to its incredibly advanced age (not due to the smell) and the smell eventually went away.
But this week I noticed my water has suddenly developed the same smell again. However, my new water heater is only a few months old. Surely it doesn't need to be serviced already? It is still outputting very hot water. I have it set to 130F, which is above the temperature that it was set at by default. (I think when I got it, it was set to 120F at first, which I found too cold. So I upped it not long after).
ALL faucets and things with a water supply within the home (ex toilets) exhibit the smell when the water is running. It is not limited to one spigot, floor, or room. Hot water makes it worse (as in showering), but I still notice it with cold water (as in flushing the toilet or room temp water from the tap...I can't get my water super cold where I live though).
The smell reminds me of when I used to swim in a lake or pond. It doesn't smell like sewage and it doesn't smell like fish, but it is not overly pleasant.
Is there a way I can investigate this easily enough without hiring a plumber? And how can I tell if it's safe to drink.
I have city water, NOT well water.
Thanks all.
lake turnover – in spring and fall, water temperatures equalize enough that water near the bottom moves up to the top taking the smells of algae along with it – usually only lasts a week or two each time
EDIT: safety issue – keep your water heater at 140°F or higher to prevent Legionnaires’ disease
I live in a very warm climate (very southern US). I have lived in the region for several years and have not experienced this yet. It has only been after moving into my current place which I did earlier this year. Do you think there's a way I could test your theory? And does that mean it's safe to drink?
I would also be skeptical of this theory - you say your hot water is worse than your cold - if it was your water source, it should be about the same.
Since you said you swapped hot water heaters, I'd be skeptical of the hot water heater. I've had a similar problem (mine was a sulfurous smell after not using the hot water for about a month) and you would still notice it in the cold water, but seemingly only because there was some lingering past the mixing valves etc.
Mine was mostly resolved by just running every hot water faucet in the house for about 30 minutes simultaneously. The idea is basically to try to "flush" your hot water heater and to try to "clean it out". Might be worth a shot, as it's not too hard and might help.
- you get it more often in temperate climates, with hot climates, there’s usually not enough temperature shifts to push turnover
- the algae or “pond water” smell is distinctive, if you haven’t noticed it before, then likely something else happening this time
- agree with the other answers, pick up a testing kit off Amazon – your body can handle a lot of mineral content, but you don’t want to risk biological contamination
I live in the south too and the last time this was a problem the water stank smelled like sulfer. If you've just moved one of the things I'd check is the water heater . That was the problem in my case.
Thank you for this. This risk had never occurred to me, yet we're considerably exposed to it as we live in the tropics and usually underheat our water as a result. A new water heating protocol will be in place from tonight onwards.
What about those faucet filters? I have a brita faucet filter, and never drink hot water from the faucet. Am I okay, or should I be doing something else?
I don't know how common this is, but where I live (PNW), our city water has more than one source, and based on a number of factors, the water running to our house may have its source changed for short periods of time. Have you talked to any of your neighbors to see if they've experienced something similar? You might try reaching out to the city water department and see if they have any idea what it might be as well, they may even have free (or cheap) water testing you can do on water from your house.
Unfortunately I don't have any real answers for whether your water is safe to drink or not, but hopefully something here will be of some help to you.
You might need to change out the anode in that hot water heater if it’s electric. They sell aluminum ones at home improvement stores. The ones that come with today’s water heaters are generally made of magnesium, and can react with your water chemistry. It won’t be free but you can do the replacement with a big socket and a breaker bar. Total should be less than $100.
I recall seeing free home water testing kits in home depot a while back. Not sure what those kits tested for but they were a means to sell you home filtration systems and plumbing stuff. But they were free. Maybe start there?
Afaik it's just a way to invite a sales call. @dingus@lemmy.world, just get an inexpensive water test kit from Amazon or wherever. Also, you should be able to get water quality reports and other information about your water supply from the municipality.
Warm your water to the highest temperature your boiler allows (must be at least 70C iirc) and when the water warms up, run all hot water faucets at full-open for 2 minutes. That should kill the smelly bacteria.
Source: instruction manual of my boiler. They recommend to do it a few times a year.
Do you have any filters due for a clean or change?
I second the comment about asking your neighbours about it.
Do you have a tap right near the source you can check?