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The main reason for the smell is sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur bacteria are found in environments that lack oxygen, like deep wells. You’ll also find such issues in areas having plumbing systems and organic matter.
How do you get the smell out of well water?
Use a Chlorinator or Inject Hydrogen Peroxide to Kill Odors J-PRO Odor Killer Well Water Chlorinators Eliminate Both Odors and Odor-Causing Bacteria in your well water. Use 5% grade liquid bleach or 12% liquid pool chlorine OR 7% hydrogen peroxide. The same system can inject either bleach or peroxide.
Is it safe to drink well water that smells like rotten eggs?
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.
Why does my well water smell like sewer?
Generally, a rotten egg (or sulfurous), decayed or sewage-like odor in household water is a result of bacterial activity, which can be due to: Bacteria growing in the drain: This is the most common cause of these types of odors. The bacteria can produce a gas that smells like rotten eggs or sewage.
How do you fix sulfur smell in 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.
Do water filters remove sulfur?
Small amounts of sulfur can also be removed from drinking water with a reverse osmosis filter or a granulated activated carbon filter, but neither method is very effective on its own.
Why does my well water smell Swampy?
There are two types of bacteria that cause odors: sulfur- oxidizing and sulfur- reducing. Some sulfur bacteria form deposits that can clog a well screen and pump piping. Sulfur bacteria samples are difficult to collect and take a long time to analyze. You may wish to have your water tested for iron bacteria instead.
Can anode rod causing rotten egg smell?
The most common cause of smelly water is anaerobic bacteria that exist in some water and react with the magnesium and aluminum sacrificial anodes that come with most water heaters to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, making the classic rotten egg odor.
How do I chlorinate my well?
Overview. Use ordinary liquid laundry bleach to shock chlorinate the water system. Determine how much bleach to use, then pour the bleach down the well and circulate it through the whole water distribution system. Wait 6-12 hours for the chlorine to work, then flush the chlorinated water from your well and pipes.
What is the best way to treat well water?
Shock chlorination is the process by which home water systems such as wells, springs, and cisterns are disinfected using household liquid bleach (or chlo- rine). Shock chlorination is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water systems.
What removes sulfur water?
Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide system completely removes manganese, iron, and sulfur in well water, making it one of the most effective sulfur eradication systems. Hydrogen peroxide is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, and cannot be considered as a hazardous chemical.
Should I shock my well?
Wells should be shock chlorinated when a well water sample result shows that there is bacteria in the water. Any time a well is opened for repair it must be disinfected. Newly-built wells should also be shock chlorinated following construction.
How often should you disinfect 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.
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.
Why does my faucet water smell like rotten eggs?
If your water smells like rotten eggs, that likely indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas. These issues can produce hydrogen sulfide, which leaves an unpleasant scent wherever it goes. Tap water that contains hydrogen sulfide gas or sulfur bacteria is sometimes referred to as sulfur water.
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.
Why does my well water smell like cat pee?
When a water tap is open, small amounts of chlorine dioxide diffuse into the air and combine with existing household odors. The combination of VOC & Chlorine Dioxide have been described as smelling like fuel, oil, kerosene, chemicals or cat urine. The odor will continue until the levels of the VOC’s decreases.
