Summer heat sometimes brings out the worst in private water supplies like well, cistern and lake water. Having lived in a rural area for most of my adult life, I’ve personally experienced the water taking on a pungent smell as water temperatures rise.
Even with a pretty great water filtration system, sometimes the smell gets through as water filters get clogged. With no filtration, the smell can be even worse.
This happens most often when it rains a lot (if you’re collecting rainwater) and/or when the water sits stagnant for a period of time if you’ve been away on vacation.
A common “quick fix” is to dump a few cups of bleach into the well or cistern. Bleach oxidizes the odours and you may notice a temporary improvement.
Here’s the issue:
When bleach/chlorine reacts with the decaying organics in your water (that which is causing the smell) it creates a chemical reaction creating a by-product called THM's - trihalomethanes. THM’s are a known carcinogen (a chemical with the potential to cause cancer). When THM’s are present in the water that you drink or bathe/shower in they cause damage to your healthy cells. Inhaling THM’s via the steam when showering or bathing has been found to be even more problematic as they are have a clear pathway into your bloodstream.
So what can you do instead:
If you have a water filtration system on your whole house that has a CARBON filter, change the filter. If the smell is still present you can put a small amount of chlorine bleach into the cistern or well as the NEW carbon filter will remove any residual chlorine and THM’s
If you don’t have a water filtration system on your whole home, consider purchasing one. This will drastically improve the quality of your water leading to fewer occurrences of seasonal smelly water. Keep on top of filter changes or purchase a self cleaning carbon backwash system and smelly water will be no more!
If you have a cistern, have it cleaned annually, especially if you collect rainwater.
Install an ultraviolet (UV) light system. Increased bacteria in water will also cause your water to smell as water temperatures increase. A U/V Light System will kill the odour causing bacteria and make it safe to drink.
For more information on solving your rural water challenges, give us a call or email.
With 25 years of water treatment experience we’ve got you covered with the best products to clean up your rural water.
**rotten egg smell from well water is typically caused by hydrogen sulphide and is removed using a different method than carbon filtration.
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