If you occasionally smell something funny around your bathroom or kitchen sink, you’re possibly dealing with high sulfur levels in your water.
For instance, a rotten egg smell would describe it best. If that’s the case, your first worry is probably about the health and safety of you and your loved ones.
This article will discuss these contaminants, whether they’re dangerous, and how you can address the issue. So keep reading!
What Are Sulfates?
Before addressing any problem, it’s best to understand it fully. In this case, it’s sulfates.
These occur naturally in soil and rocks. Give them long enough, and they’ll slowly dissolve into underground water reserves — and that’s where well water comes from.
To most people’s surprise, sulfate is odorless as it doesn’t produce any gases. So, where is that sulfury rotten egg smell coming from?
Why Does Sulfur Water Smell So Bad?
It is because of hydrogen sulfide gas. It occurs naturally and comes from various sources like bacteria or rotten plant residue. The tiny bacteria eat the sulfur content and pass hydrogen sulfide gas as waste, which explains the horrendous sulfur smell in well water.
Heated sulfur water smells worse because water releases the trapped gases faster at higher temperatures.
Is Sulfur Water Bad for Health?
The sulfur content in your water can cause serious health problems like nausea and stomach pain at high enough levels. However, most households do not have dangerous sulfur levels in their tap water.
It can be even more dangerous if you have infants at home, as their immune systems are underdeveloped.
How to Get Rid of Sulfur Smells
Before you do anything to improve your home’s water quality, make sure you get it tested by an experienced professional.
It will tell you what contaminants and chemicals are present in your water, which helps determines the proper steps you can take.
Depending on the levels of sulfates or hydrogen sulfides in your water, here are a few treatment options to address this issue;
- Chlorine bleach
- Aeration
- Getting the sewage cleaned
- Iron removal filter
1. Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine reacts with hydrogen sulfide and destroys that rotten egg smell. You’ll need a chlorinator and a filter system to carry this procedure out effectively.
Obviously you don’t want to introduce a new problem when trying to solve an initial one so take care to get the correct filters in place.
2. Aeration
Adding air to the water can also remove sulfate or hydrogen sulfides from your water. This requires an aeration system installation which ‘aerates’ (adds air to) your well water before it reaches the taps.
3. Getting the sewage cleaned
Sewage pollution can also sometimes be the culprit. It can be home to contaminants like nitrates or bacteria, sending nasty odors up your drain pipes.
Getting your sewage systems cleaned can also help eradicate the sulfur odor.
4. Iron Removal Filter
Iron removal filters are also effective at addressing minor hydrogen sulfide problems. It can reduce low to medium amounts of the compound by reacting with it and converting it into insoluble sulfur. The filtration process can then remove it.