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How to Identify & Cure Sulphur Smells or Odors in Drinking Water
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Water odor diagnosis & cure: this article discusses how to identify, diagnose, and cure rotten egg or sulphur odors in drinking water. We also
discuss which of these odors may warn of unsanitary conditions. Edits, content addition, & web page design
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Diagnosing and Correcting Sulphur Odors in Water
If your source water runs through an area where naturally occurring sulfur is
present, some sulfur may dissolve into the water. We provide a diagnostic procedure to track down the source of sulphur smells in water just below.
Some of this dissolved sulfur turns to the gas, hydrogen sulfide, and this can
give the water a rotten egg type smelly odor.
Sulphur odors can also be caused by a failing hot water heater component, or by certain bacteria in the building plumbing system, conditions we also discuss below.
Sulphur smells in water can also occur in rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and can be caused by anoxia and algae which in turn may be caused by high nitrogen from agricultural runoff - a condition we discuss at WELL WATER CONTAMINANT SOURCES.
Watch out: Sulphur smells, rotten egg smells, or sewer gas smells can be caused by a variety of problems that we describe here. The sulphurous odor may be due to sulphur in the building water supply, bacteria in water, deteriorating water heater electrodes, dangerous sewer gas leaks, hydrogen sulfide gas forming in the water heater itself, even contaminated drywall or perhaps human or animal flatulence. Some of these gases and the implications of their source can be very dangerous, as we describe here and in related articles.
If the source of rotten egg smells or sulphur in your building is not traced to a water supply problem, see these related articles
METHANE GAS SOURCES
ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST, PROCEDURE
ODORS, SEPTIC or SEWER
ODORS, SULPHUR SMELL SOURCES
- Sulphur or "rotten egg" odors in water throughout a home: if your water source is picking up sulphur,
either seasonally (such as when water tables drop) or all year, you have a persistent sulphur source and the odor will
be present at all plumbing fixtures in the home, possibly appearing stronger when water has not been run for some time - but
see other versions of that clue which we discus below.
Our photograph at left, courtesy of Arlene Puentes, shows black sulphur bacteria and debris in a toilet tank in a home served by a well which was very high in sulphur.
Since the toilet is supplied with cold water we knew this was a sulfur problem in the water supply, not simply a water heater anode problem.
We provide a detailed list of sewer and sulphur gas odor sources at Sources of Sulphur Odors in Buildings. Also CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS discusses Chinese drywall odors, sulphur smells, and corrosive outgassing hazards in buildings. Major costs to remove this product, repair or replace electrical wiring, plumbing, and HVAC components may be involved, and there may be immediate safety hazards due to damaged smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors in buildings where Chinese drywall outgassing has caused damage.
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- Sulphur odors only at certain fixtures:
In certain instances, someone in the household may complain of a sulfur odor in one part of
the home, but not any other. This is usually explained because of the presence of sulfur reducing bacteria in a "dead leg" in the
plumbing system. These bacteria are not typically pathogenic, or disease-causing, and one common type would be Desulfovibriole.
If there is a portion of plumbing that has been cut and then capped off, creating a small area of non-circulating water, or a
"dead-leg", then these bacteria can get a foothold and metabolize the available sulfur in your water - creating a strong odor from
one particular sink or tap.
- Sulphur odors from water heaters: A frequent source of a sulphur-like odor in home water systems, regardless of whether your water is from a private well or from a
municipal supply source, is a deteriorated sacrificial anode on the water heater tank.
This anode, usually inserted into the water
tank from its top, is intended to reduce water tank corrosion. Sacrificial anodes on water tanks can be replaced. If the odor is
present only in your hot water, ask your plumber to try replacing the anode.
We discuss the hot water tank sacrificial anode and dip tube in more detail at Check the Sacrificial Anode & Dip Tube of Your Water Heater Tank.
Watch out: as we explain at HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS, hydrogen sulfide gas is dangerous and can explode or catch fire. Sewer gases also probably contain hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) In addition some writers opine that there are possible
health hazards from sewer gas exposure, such as a bacterial infection of the sinuses (which can occur due to any sinus irritation). Hydrogen is extremely flammable (easily set fire or explodes).
- Hydrogen sulfide release from hot water:
Another source of sulphur odors in water the energy which water heaters add to water in the form of heat.
Increasing the temperature of water will also facilitate the release of hydrogen sulfide.
In addition, the simple act of running water at a shower or faucet will cause a release of this
sulfurous odor because of the agitation of the water being released from the tap.
- Manganese, Iron, and Gallianella bacteria as a water odor source:
If your source water is high in iron and or manganese, then you may have odors that emanate from bacteria like Gallianella.
These naturally occurring bacteria can feed from the available stream of iron and manganese in a water supply,
creating foul odors and sometimes plugging, or bio fouling water filters and well.
A BART, or Biological Activity Reaction Test can determine if this type of bacteria is present in your water supply.
You probably can't get rid of them because they are normal flora, (naturally occurring bacteria), but annual chlorination
of your well will help keep them in check.
An ultraviolet disinfection system can disinfect the water as it comes into distribution
to remove bacteria within the system.
Chlorination may also be used, but is not a great choice if there is a lot of iron and manganese,
as the chlorine will precipitate the metals out of solution and discolor the water.
- Water Softeners as a source of rotten egg smells in water: if your source water from an outside spigot of un-treated water at your building does not smell, but if all of the water in your building, both hot and cold, smells like rotten eggs or sulphur, and if you have a water softener installed, it may be that you need to sanitize your water softener equipment. This problem is more likely to occur if the water softener has been shut down for a week or more, such as when you are restoring a winterized building to service. See SOFTENER ADJUSTMENT & CONTROLS for the procedure to follow for sanitizing a water softener.
- Other sources of sulphur odors: Does your water smell when you return from vacation?
Non-use of a regular water line can also create the same condition of sulphur odors.
- We provide a detailed list of sewer and sulphur gas odor sources at Sources of Sulphur Odors in Buildings.
Watch out: methane odors in a building water supply can be explosive - see METHANE GAS SOURCES
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- [1] "Residential Electric Water Heater Installation Instructions and Use & Care Guide", American Water Heater Co., October 2001, American Water Heater Co., Johnson City, TN, [manufacturer of residential & commercial water heaters, also manufacturer of Polaris/Commercial water heaters], Tel: 800-999-9515, web search 1/12/2012, original source: americanwaterheater.com/support/manuals/res-elect.pdf [copy on file]
- [2] Scott Bradley, author. Scott Bradley is Laboratory Director for Aquacheck Laboratory, Inc. PO Box 87 05151 1-800-263-9596.
A more brief version of this article appeared in Aquacheck Laboratory's Water Wisdom Tips and Newsletter, Issue # 6, 2007. www.Aquacheck-VT.com offers other water supply tips in its Water Wisdom section.
The laboratory also provides water test kits and offers a free newsletter.
- [3] Thanks to Arlene Puentes for the photograph of a toilet tank with sulphur bacteria and debris showing as black goop. Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. Photographs © Arlene Puentes 2006 All Rights Reserved. Text © Daniel Friedman Arlene Puentes 2008 All Rights Reserved
- American Industrial Hygiene Association, 1962. Hydrogen Sulfide. Hygienic Guide Series. Detroit, Michigan.
- Amoore, J.E. and Hautala, E., 1983. Odor as an aid to chemical safety: odor thresholds compared with threshold limit values and volatilities for 214 industrial chemicals in air and water dilution. Journal of Applied Toxicology 3, 272-290.
- Bates, M.N., Garrett, N. and Shoemack, P., 2002. Investigation of health effects of hydrogen sulfide from a geothermal source. Archives of Environmental Health, 57(5): 405-411.
- Gangolli, S. (Ed.), 1999. The Dictionary of Substances and their Effects, 2nd edn. The Royal Society of Chemistry. Cambridge.
- Sax, N.I. and Lewis, R.J., Sr., 1989. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 7th edn. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York.
- Snyder, J.W., Safir, E.F., Summerville, G.P. and Middleberg, R.A., 1995. Occupational fatality and persistent neurological sequelae after mass exposure to hydrogen sulfide. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(2): 199-203.
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Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
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- Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
- Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
"This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
- U.S. Army Field Manual 21-10, Field Hygiene and Sanitation, 1988, web search 07/02/2010, original source: http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-21-10-field-hygiene-and-sanitation.shtml
The purpose of this manual is to assist individual soldiers, unit commanders, leaders and field sanitation teams in preventing disease and environmental injuries. The manual provides information on preventive medicine measures (PMM) to the individual soldier as well as essential information for the unit commander, unit leaders, and the unit field sanitation team on applying unit level PMM.
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