Drinking clean water is an important part of staying healthy. If the water in a home gives off an odor, the smell needs to be investigated. Homeowners can use these steps to determine the cause of the odor and what to do in the event of a larger problem.
If the odor occurs in all water faucets, the problem is probably in the main water supply. Run the water for a few minutes to see if the smell goes away. If it does not, check to see if the water smells only when it’s hot. If that’s the case, the smell is the magnesium rod in the hot water tank. If both hot and cold water smell, then the odor is in the water source and potentially the plumbing system. In this case, contact the water provider or the county health department immediately.
If the odor occurs only in certain faucets, the problem is likely in the fixtures or pipes supplying those specific faucets. If the problem goes away after running the water for a few minutes, the problem is somewhere in the household plumbing system. If the odor is persistent, the problem could be the water source or a combination of both the water source and the plumbing system. Contact the water provider if the odor continues.
More information is at http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C1016.
