Why Your Water Smells Like Sulfur (and What to Do About It)

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Why Your Water Smells Like Sulfur (and What to Do About It)

Ruan Marinho • Jun 15, 2021

While you can get fresher water from a well than from a city supply, well water is vulnerable to contaminants. Without properly maintained and effective filtration and treatment systems in place, your water supply could be polluted by:

Heavy metals
Fluoride
Microbiological material
Nitrates
Organic chemicals
Radionuclides

Significant concentrations of any of these materials can not only change the odor and flavor of your water, but can make you and your family sick. If your water has suddenly started to smell like sulfur, you need to take action immediately.

Why Your Water Smells Like Sulfur

The odor of sulfur in water is usually a result of the presence of hydrogen sulfide. Contamination occurs when sulfur bacteria, which often dwell in oxygen-starved systems like plumbing systems, feast on rotting matter. As they do, they release hydrogen sulfide gas into these systems, and, consequently, into your water. Sulfur bacteria can also be found in the well, groundwater, or water softening device.

Contamination may also occur as a result of interactions between the magnesium and aluminum found in your hot water heater. If you smell sulfur when running your hot water, your water heater is the root of the issue.

How You Can Get Rid of The Sulfur Smell

If the issue is your hot water heater, and you are familiar with its operation, you can try to rid your heater of bacteria yourself. You’ll first need to replace the magnesium anode found in your water heater (preferably with an aluminum anode), though you should know doing so may shorten its lifecycle. Then flush your heater with a mixture of chlorine and bleach to kill the bacteria. Turning the heater on to at least 71 degrees for several hours can also kill the bacteria. However, taking either action may be ineffective and dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

When You Need to Call in The Professionals

Pinpointing the source of sulfur bacteria in a well system can be tricky, and even more challenging to remediate. If the sulfur bacteria is in your well, pipes, or softening device, you may need special treatment chemicals to kill them. If the bacteria is in your groundwater, you may need a new home water treatment system, or even a new well dug. In either case, you’ll need the services of professionals, like Mosman Well Works. Contact our knowledgeable staff today and get your water smelling pristine!

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Mosman Well Works provides safe water and quality service to both residential and commercial customers throughout Connecticut. When you hire Mosman Well Works, expect superior service, honesty, and dependability. We stand by our work and no job is too challenging for our team. Mosman Well Works are experts that you can trust. We serve Greater Waterbury and all throughout CT.

We have over 20 years of experience in the well industry, including manufacturer specialized training and safety training. Our team of technicians are available for emergency service 365 days a year and our customer service line is open 24 hours a day to answer your questions.

We will work with your schedule to minimize any inconvenience or impact to your daily agenda. We strive to continually expand our industry knowledge with all the latest advancements utilizing technology, to be the leading well company. If you’re experiencing low water pressure from your well or need a well pump replaced, give us a call. Mosman Well Works operates out of several locations in Connecticut including Naugatuck, Derby, Shelton, Waterbury, and Oxford but services the entire state.