Sulfur and Odors

Hydrogen Sulfide Gas is a popular culprit for these tastes and odors. These gasses and deposits are naturally occurring and are not necessarily harmful in the way some other contaminants are, but they can be incredibly unpleasant because of the putrid smell and taste.

Although sulfur deposits and the resulting gas can be found naturally in a variety of places and situations, the frequency is more common in rural homes that get water from a well. It is almost always the case that well water needs some degree of purification, depending on the local water tables.

Iron Bacteria is another naturally occurring contaminant that is often confused with sulfur because the smell and taste are both very similar. In addition to the smell and taste, iron bacteria will often cause a slight discoloration in the water, generally something like a yellow-orangish hue.

Iron Bacteria often cohabitates with other harmful bacteria, which means that getting  some water quality tests would be a good idea if you observe any of the  iron bacteria indicators. Shocking your well could be a good temporary solution but some form of water treatment will eventually be needed. 

Rotting and rusted pipes can also be the cause of odd tastes and odors in your water, since the slow degradation of those metal pipes will eventually lead to contamination of the water over time. As is the case with many water condition problems, the effect of these contaminants can be exacerbated by heat.

As iron and other metal pipes get older, they naturally decay, but these kinds of problems can be exacerbated by mineral deposits and hard water. In some instances where the water condition problems are compounded, multiple forms of purification and treatment are recommended.

This particular odor is a bad sign, and is generally indicative of some kind of cross-contamination.  In most municipal settings wastewater is actually still treated quite a bit, but is still miles away from being safe for human consumption.

If you suspect that there may be a sewage leak or cross contamination of some kind in your neighborhood, you should contact your municipality immediately.  This may require a sewage line repair somewhere in the area that is underground. 

Gas pockets are naturally occurring but can also be introduced into your water supply by human activity that disrupts the ground  such as digging and mining. The general indicators here may be either a cloudy or milky look, or possibly bubbles that appear similar to carbonation from soda.

Most gasses will slowly diapate into the air after some time , but the specific concern with methane is inhalation and flammability. Methane can be difficult to detect because it is tasteless and odorless.