A rotten-egg, chlorine, metallic, or musty taste or odor can make water unpleasant to drink and use. Unusual tastes and odors can result from several conditions, including naturally occurring compounds, plumbing components, or changes in the water supply. Testing helps identify the cause so you can address it.
Unusual taste or odor in tap water is a noticeable change from normal, neutral water. Common descriptions include rotten-egg (sulfur), chlorine, metallic, musty, or earthy. These changes can affect drinking water, coffee, cooking, and ice, and they are one of the most frequent reasons homeowners request a water test.
This problem can have more than one possible cause — from the water supply to household plumbing to a water heater. Identifying the cause is the right first step, because the solution depends on what is actually happening.
Bad-tasting or smelly water is a quality concern worth investigating, and it can make water unpleasant to use even when it meets safety standards. Some odors — like chlorine from municipal treatment — are expected at certain levels. Others, like a sudden rotten-egg smell, point to a specific condition worth testing for. A water test identifies what is actually present so you can choose the right solution.
Not every water problem is solved the same way. The right option depends on what testing finds in your water. Here are solutions that may apply — a water test tells you which one actually fits your conditions.
Reduces chlorine taste and odor throughout the home so every tap — including showers and ice — gets better-tasting water.
Learn moreA dedicated RO system at the kitchen sink reduces a broad range of dissolved compounds that affect the taste and clarity of drinking and cooking water.
Learn moreWhen odors come from a private well, a well-specific plan addresses the sulfur, iron, or bacterial conditions your water actually contains based on testing.
Learn moreA whole house water filtration system treats water at the point where it enters your home, so every faucet, shower, and appliance receives filtered water. It is designed to reduce sediment, chlorine taste and odor, and other common contaminants depending on the media used.
Learn moreA reverse osmosis (RO) system forces water through a semi-permeable membrane to reduce a broad range of dissolved contaminants at a dedicated drinking-water tap. RO is commonly used for drinking and cooking water where higher filtration is desired.
Learn moreHomes on private wells are responsible for their own water quality. Well water filtration and treatment addresses concerns common to private supplies — sediment, iron, hardness, odor, and bacterial risks — with equipment selected based on a test of your actual well water.
Learn moreEvery home's water is different. Generation H2O can help you understand your water conditions and explore solutions based on your test results — with no obligation.
Free test • No obligation • Tested at your tap
Explore more water-quality issues and the testing and treatment options for each.