If your water smells like rotten eggs, chlorine, or has a strange metallic scent, you’re not alone. Many homeowners in Northeast Wyoming and surrounding areas experience water odor issues, whether they’re on well water or municipal systems. Understanding why your water smells bad is the first step toward finding the right solution. At Water Products & Solutions, we’ve been helping families and businesses in Sheridan County, Johnson County, and Campbell County solve their water quality challenges for over 30 years.
Why Does My Water Smell Like Chlorine?
If your water has a strong chlorine smell, similar to what you’d notice at a swimming pool, there are typically two main causes: municipal water treatment or issues within your home’s plumbing system.
Municipal Water Treatment
Most municipal water systems use chlorine as a disinfectant to eliminate harmful bacteria and pathogens. While this process helps keep water safer for consumption, it can leave behind a noticeable chlorine odor and taste. The smell is usually more pronounced when:
- Treatment levels are temporarily increased during seasonal changes or after heavy rainfall
- Water sits in the pipes for extended periods, allowing chlorine to concentrate
- Your home is closer to the treatment facility, meaning the water hasn’t traveled as far through the distribution system
- Recent maintenance or repairs have been performed on the municipal water lines
Home Plumbing Issues
Sometimes the chlorine smell isn’t coming from the municipal supply but from reactions within your own plumbing system:
- Water heater reactions: If the smell is only present in hot water, your water heater’s anode rod may be reacting with residual chlorine, creating a stronger odor
- Stagnant water: Pipes that aren’t used regularly can develop concentrated chlorine smells
- New plumbing installations: Recently installed pipes or fixtures may temporarily contribute to stronger chemical odors
How do you fix chlorine smells in water?
If chlorine smell is affecting your water quality, several treatment options can help:
- Activated carbon filters: These are highly effective at removing chlorine and improving taste and odor in drinking water
- Whole-house filtration systems: For comprehensive treatment throughout your entire home
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis systems: Ideal for kitchens and drinking water applications
- Water heater maintenance: Regular servicing and anode rod replacement can reduce hot water odors
At Water Products & Solutions, we offer free on-site water testing to determine the exact chlorine levels in your water and recommend the most appropriate treatment solution for your household’s specific needs.
Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
The unmistakable smell of rotten eggs in your water is almost always caused by hydrogen sulfide gas, a colorless gas that forms when bacteria break down organic matter or sulfur compounds. This is one of the most common water quality complaints we address in the Sheridan region.
Hydrogen sulfide can occur naturally in groundwater or develop within your plumbing system. The odor is distinctive and often described as smelling like rotten eggs or sulfur. Even small concentrations can create a noticeable smell, though higher levels may also cause pipe corrosion, black/yellow staining, unpleasant tastes, and accelerated wear on appliances. The most common causes of this rotten egg smell include:
- Well Water Issues: These microorganisms thrive in oxygen-deprived environments like deep wells and aquifers, producing hydrogen sulfide as a byproduct.
- Water Heater Problems: Most water heaters contain a magnesium or aluminum anode rod designed to prevent tank corrosion. When these rods react with sulfate in the water, hydrogen sulfide gas can form, especially in hot water. In addition, accumulated sediment at the bottom of the tank creates an environment where bacteria can flourish. And, of course, older water heaters are more susceptible to bacterial growth and anode rod degradation
If the smell is present only in hot water, the issue is almost certainly within your water heater. If it’s only present with cold water, this typically indicates a problem with your well or water source. Is it a problem for both hot and cold water? This suggests the hydrogen sulfide is entering your home through the water supply and may be present throughout your plumbing system.
How do you fix rotten egg smells in water?
Depending on the source and severity of the problem, different treatment approaches may be most effective:
- Water heater maintenance: Flushing the tank, replacing the anode rod with an aluminum/zinc/tin alloy rod, or raising the temperature temporarily can eliminate bacteria
- Shock chlorination: For well water systems, this process involves introducing chlorine to kill sulfur bacteria throughout the well and plumbing
- Continuous chlorination systems: These systems inject chlorine into the water supply, followed by filtration to remove the chlorine and dead bacteria
- Oxidation and filtration: Air injection or chemical oxidation systems convert hydrogen sulfide to solid sulfur particles, which are then filtered out
- Reverse osmosis systems: Point-of-use RO systems can effectively remove hydrogen sulfide at specific taps, ideal for drinking water
- Specialized sulfur removal systems: Advanced treatment designed specifically for high sulfur content in well water
At Water Products & Solutions, we provide tailored solutions based on whether you’re dealing with well water or municipal water challenges. Our team will test your water to determine sulfur levels and identify the most cost-effective treatment approach for your situation.
Other Causes of Bad Water Smells
While chlorine and sulfur are the most common culprits behind smelly water, other odors can indicate different water quality issues that deserve attention.
- Metallic or Rusty Smell: A metallic odor often suggests elevated levels of iron, manganese, or other metals in your water supply. Specialized iron and manganese filters can help reduce iron levels.
- Earthy or Musty Smell: An earthy, musty, or dirt-like odor typically comes from organic compounds or algae blooms. This is more common when wells are shallow or improperly sealed, allowing surface runoff to enter. We can recommend the right filters for your needs.
- Chemical or Fuel-Like Smell: If your water smells like gasoline, oil, or other petroleum products, this requires immediate attention, as there could be an underground storage leak or some type of industrial contaminations. In this case, stop using the water immediately and contact water quality professionals for testing.
- Sewage or Fishy Smell: A sewage-like odor can indicate serious contamination issues that need prompt investigation. Failing septic systems or sewer line breaks can allow bacteria and organic waste to enter groundwater or you could be having plumbing vent problems. Have your water tested right away.
Water Products & Solutions offers comprehensive testing to identify the exact contaminants causing unusual odors. Our experience with both well water and municipal water systems throughout Sheridan, Buffalo, Gillette, and surrounding communities means we can quickly diagnose and solve even complex water quality challenges.
Reach Out To Our Water Treatment Experts
Smelly water isn’t just unpleasant… It can indicate underlying water quality issues that affect your health, damage your plumbing, and shorten the lifespan of appliances like water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines. Whether you’re dealing with chlorine odors from municipal treatment, rotten egg smells from hydrogen sulfide in well water, or other unusual odors, identifying the source is essential to finding the right solution.
At Water Products & Solutions, we’ve spent over 30 years helping homeowners and businesses across Northeast Wyoming solve their water quality challenges. From hard water and iron removal to chlorine reduction and sulfur treatment, we offer custom water treatment systems tailored to your specific needs and water source. Reach out today!