Why does my water smell like rotten eggs?

Question

Whenever I turn the tap on to get water it smells like rotten eggs. I do not have a well. What could this be and is it dangerous to use or drink the water?

Debi, I mentioned well because when I looked at other questions that were the same as mine a lot of people answered that if you have a well it's normal.
I need to know if this is harmful?

Answer 1

It's probably sulfer - I would not drink it. It's ok for bathing and cooking and pets to drink, but I don't like it to drink. Fart water.

Answer 2

Trudy.... Since you are on a city water line we can rule out sulfur in the water. However since the smell is confinder to one bathroom sink, I think this may be able to help you. The sink "trap" or elbow pipe is located under the sink itself. the pipe prevents the backup of gases forming in your sewer system by keeping a water barier in the pipe itself. What has happened is the piping itself has overtime become a magnet for waste products, usually in the form of some black and slimy sludge. This "stuff" that has attached itself to your pipe and the bacteria inside is creating this smell. Remove the "elbow" pipe and clean it with a detergent and some bleech, the bleech will help to kill the bacteria. Be sure to check the other drain lines too, use some kind of a narrow brush to get into these pipies. Be careful when you take off the elbow pipe (it's full of water, so get a small bucket or something underneath it.) If you have and overflow on your sink be sure to to get some bleech in that little hole too. Once all the sludge has been removed, place everthing back together again and on occasion (1x/month) pour a strong soloution of 50% bleech and hot water down the sink and let it sit (this will prevent future bacteria growth.) I am pretty sure this will solve your problem. Oh.... the reason you are only smelling it for a few seconds is that when you turn on the water, it forces the air out of the pipe and up into the sink where you are usually standing, after a few seconds the smell disappears...?????

Answer 3

Yikes, Call the Dept of Environmental Protection ASAP as well as a plumber. You could have damaged pipes or receiving contaminated water from some nearby source.

Answer 4

We had the same problem down in Florida. What you have is sulphur in your water. It's actually good for you, physically. But it smells like the devil. You can get companies to come out an install water purification systems for you, and that will take the sulphur out.

You have my sympathy!!

Answer 5

There's Sulfur in it... -A LOT of places around the country have it. It's safe to drink- but the "fragrance" leaves alot to be desired. I don't know if there are household water purifiers you can buy to filter it out... Visit your local Hardware store & ask THEM. They'd know. :)

Answer 6

It's probably caused by sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide.
I would find out more from your water company before drinking it.

Answer 7

CALL THE WATER COMPANY AND REPORT IT AND ASK THEM IF THEY CAN CHECK THE WATER UN TILL THE SMELL IS GONE I WOULD GET WATER SOMEWHERE ELSE ARE YOU PIPES RUSTY YES I THINK IT CAN BE DANGEROUS CHECK IT OUT HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON FOR? HOW LONG DO YOU RUN YOUR WATE BEFORE USING MAYBE YOUR SCREENS ARE GETTING CLOGGED UP WITH LIME WHEN YOU RUN YOUR WATER DOES BROWN WATER COME OUT IF SO JUST RUN IT TILL IT CLEARS BEST OF LUCK TO YOU

Answer 8

Contaminated with natural gas it sounds like. There may be a natural gas line near your water main.

Other suspects could be old pipes.

Answer 9

Just the fact that you mentioned a "well" tells me that....

...wait...I don't want Yahoo to delete another one of my answers.

Um.... just run the water for awhile. It'll stop stinking after awhile.

Answer 10

Hydrogen sulphide, probably caused by bacteria in the plumbing.