My Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs, What Should I Do?

If you've turned on your water faucet, only to find that your water smells like rotten eggs, you aren't alone. This is also a common occurrence for those who are on well water as well. The smell of rotten eggs, coming from your water, actually has very little to do with eggs, but results from a bacteria. The bacteria are known as Divibrio Sulfurcans and enter water through a break in the water pipes. When you smell the rotten egg smell, that is actually gas that the bacteria has created to thrive in. The bacteria transform Sulfate into Hydrogen Sulfide, a gas that omits the foul odor. Not only is the stench of Hydrogen Sulfide offensive, but it can also give the water a very unappealing taste.

You can easily cure this problem yourself by chlorinating your water. It may take a few treatments, however, to ensure that you have thoroughly destroyed all of the bacteria, but it is worth it.

Sometimes the source of the problem isn't in the hot water, but is actually coming from bacteria that have built up in your drains. If the bacteria are growing in your drains, you can add a cup of bleach to the drain to kill the bacteria and stop the odor.


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