Why Does My Well Water Smell Like Fish in the USA
If your well water smells like fish… Typically, this smell is caused by naturally occurring organic material in your water source. This may be due to elevated levels of chloramines, cadmium, or barium. You may also like to add a carbon filter, which will help with the odor and taste.
How do you get rid of fishy smell in water?
Follow these steps to eliminate a fishy smell from your drinking water: Fill a glass with water from the sink that has the smell, then step away from the sink and swirl the water around inside the glass a few times. To flush the drain, pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour half a cup of vinegar.
How do I fix my smelly well water?
To fix well water that smells bad, use one of these approaches: Aerate water and/or inject air or oxygen. Chlorinate well water to eliminate both sulfur and bacteria. Use ozone gas in a closed tank or atmospheric tank. Inject hydrogen peroxide.
Why would well water smell fishy?
A fishy smell coming off of your well water is usually caused by organic metals like barium and cadmium. These metals leech out from bits of buried ore mixed into the soil. Though the fishy smell might make the water less than palatable, it is not harmful to ingest.
Is it safe to drink water that smells like fish?
Often this smell does not signify the presence of a harmful contaminant, but it could indicate that your drinking water is not the cleanest and should be inspected to restore it to its purest state.
Why does my well water stink all of a sudden?
It happens because sulfur has broken down and released hydrogen sulfide gas. Sometimes people say that the water is smelling like rotten eggs. In most cases, rotten eggs are not found in groundwater, so the smell comes from the reactions.
How do you get rid of sulfur smell in well water?
Chlorine bleach can effectively remove medium to high levels (over 6 mg/l) of hydrogen sulfide. The chlorine in the bleach chemically reacts with (oxi- dizes) the hydrogen sulfide eliminating the “rotten egg” odor. Chlorine bleach also reacts with iron or manganese, and disinfects water supplies.
Can I pour bleach down my well?
Mix 2 quarts bleach in 10 gallons of water; pour into well. Connect a garden hose to a nearby faucet and wash down the inside of the well. Open each faucet and let the water run until a strong chlorine odor is detected, then turn it off and go to the next one. Pour it into the well without pumping.
Is smelly well water safe?
In most cases drinking water that has a strong rotten egg odor, although particularly unpleasant, is perfectly safe to drink. However in some rare occasions the odor may be caused by sewage or other contaminates in a building’s water supply, which could cause health problems.
Will a water filter remove sulfur smell?
Regardless of the source of the odors, installing whole house water filters that will remove hydrogen sulfide and kill sulfur bacteria is a good solution to consider if you want to reduce bad smells, and protect your family from other chemical and microbial contaminants.
Is it safe to shower in water that smells like sulfur?
If you notice a rotten egg smell in your water, you’re probably wondering if you and your family are safe. A rotten egg odor is a sign that the sulfur levels in your water may be too high. Good, clean water is free of taste or odors and doesn’t pose any risks to your health.
How much bleach is needed to shock a well?
4) Work out how much bleach will be needed: For every 50 gallons of water in the well use one quart of laundry bleach – (4 quarts in a gallon). Do not use excessive amounts of bleach – more is not more effective.
Why does my alkaline water taste fishy?
If you have an UltraStream or electronic water ioniser that is giving a strange fishy, metallic or sulphurous taste and/or smell, this is caused by sulphur that may be present in the water due to rotting vegetation. This can happen when water levels in dams get low or there is leaf matter in tank water.
How often should you shock your well?
Homeowners with private wells should have their well water tested every 3 to 5 years for some contaminants, including bacteria. If these tests turn up positive for bacteria, chlorinating the well may be a way to resolve the problem.
Does boiling water remove sulfur?
A: Some homeowners find it difficult to cook with the overwhelming smell of rotting eggs. However, when water is boiled, it can remove the smell, so the sulfur won’t affect your food’s flavor.
What happens when sulfur reacts with water?
BUT, SO2 + H2O —> H2SO3.
How much does it cost to disinfect a well?
To disinfect your well and eliminate the bacteria, you should chlorinate the well. You can hire a company that services wells to do the chlorinating. The cost ranges from $80 – $200.
Can I use pool shock in my well?
Chlorine granules, tablets and liquid chlorine in the form of household bleach can all be used to disinfect your well. Don’t use stabilized swimming pool chlorine products or non-chlorinated “pool shock” products, as they are not effective enough to clean your drinking water.
Is it bad to have sulfur in your water?
Sulfur is found in many foods and is considered a vital part of a healthy diet, but too much sulfur in your drinking water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration. Sulfur not only stinks and makes your water taste bad, it can also stain your sinks, toilets, and clothing and even damage plumbing.
How do you get rotten egg smell out of your house?
Mix 3% peroxide with 40 gallons of water and then pour the solution into the water heater. Left it for a few hours, and then flush it. The process of chlorinating the water heater and all hot water lines with bleach will also help eliminate the rotten egg smell by getting rid of bacteria buildup in the water heater.