Naturally, pure water is tasteless and odorless, but that’s not always the case for residents in Prescott, AZ. It’s not uncommon for tap water to deviate from being tasteless from time to time. This is mostly because of chemicals like chlorine and the degradation of old metal pipes. However, when tap water smells weird, with an accompanying smell, it’s time to call the plumber.

Funny-tasting water could indicate a serious problem with your plumbing system. And while you could overlook a little chlorine taste in your water, when tap water smells and tastes like rotten eggs, your only hope is a licensed plumber.

Below are common reasons why your tap water tastes funny and how calling a plumber can help.

Too Much Chlorine

Local water supply companies use chlorine or chloramine to eliminate bacteria, parasites, and viruses in the water. Chlorine is mostly harmless but can cause stomach aches, diarrhea, and vomiting in excess. That’s why only small chlorine doses are mixed with the local water supply. However, most people find the taste of chlorine in water unpleasant.

Aside from chlorine, tap water may also contain the following chemicals:

• Calcium hydroxide
• Fluorosilicic acid
• Aluminum sulfate
• Sodium silicofluoride

Strong Metallic Taste

Sometimes tap water may have a strong metallic, almost tangy taste. This metallic taste indicates the presence of heavy metals in your water supply. It’s more common in older plumbing systems. Over time, the metal pipes conveying water to your home deteriorate. This leads to the leaking of these metals into your water supply, hence the metallic taste.

Gasy or Glossy Taste

Water that tastes like gas or glossy like turpentine is a definite cause for concern. The taste could indicate a serious gas leak, severe enough to affect your water. It’s also a sign of toxic runoff entering your water supply. Either way, drinking this water could lead to grave health complications and sometimes death.

Earthy Taste

Sometimes tap water tastes musty with a hint of earthiness. This taste stems from the growth and proliferation of algae near your water supply. Algae is pretty common in Prescott, AZ, but excessive nutrients in the water or soil lead to algal blooms.

Algal blooms occur when algae grow rapidly in a water body or soil. This results in large algae colonies that could enter your water supply. In severe cases, algae may introduce toxins into the water supply. Water treatment addresses this toxicity, making the water safe to drink. However, most people still can’t get past the musty taste.

Rotten Egg Taste

The last thing you want in your home is water that tastes like rotten eggs. While not necessarily harmful, this rotten egg smell and taste are enough to make anyone throw up. However, drinking this water may sometimes cause mild stomach upsets.

The rotten egg taste results from hydrogen sulfide in your water. Certain bacteria like Veillonella or Actinomyces produce hydrogen sulfide as an end product of anaerobic respiration. These bacteria are less common in treated water and are mostly in homes that get water from untreated wells.

Sometimes, the foul odor may be present only when you use hot water. If so, it means the bacteria is inside your water heater tank, not the entire plumbing system.

Sour Taste

Water that tastes sour or bitter likely has a low PH. The lower your water’s PH, the more acidic it is, hence the sour taste. Water with a high PH tastes bitter because it crosses over to the alkaline. Perfectly neutral water has a PH of 7 and is tasteless.

Can a Plumber Help Address My Water’s Funny Taste?

So your tap water smells funky and tastes a little weird. You can live with it or call a licensed plumber to set things right. Here are a few ways a plumber can help your water taste better.

Testing Your Water

Funny-tasting water indicates a problem with your plumbing system. It’s hard to tell the root or severity of the problem without professional help. A professional plumber will help you find the source of the foul taste and how bad the situation is.

A water test identifies what substances are in your drinking water and their quantities. That way, you can know how best to deal with the situation. The professional will help you develop a long-term solution for the problem.

Installing a Water Filter

A water filtration system is your plumbing system’s first line of defense against funny-tasting water. This system typically consists of a sediment filter that filters out dust, rust, and other components. It also has a carbon filter to remove chlorine, VOCs, and other chemicals.

A plumbing professional will help you choose the right water filtration system for your home or business. They’ll first test your water for any contaminants before deciding on a filtration system to handle them. That way, you can get the best value for money should you decide to install one.

Replacing Worn Out Pipes

Rusty and worn-out pipes are responsible for that awful metallic taste in your tap water. The only solution, in this case, is to replace your water pipes. A plumbing professional will help arrange the replacement.

Sometimes, you only need to replace one or a handful of pipes. A professional plumber will establish which pipes need replacement and promptly replace them. That way, you can have water that tastes as it should.

Recommending Supplements

A little supplementation is necessary for your tap water to taste its best. The last step after filtering and testing your water is adding supplements. These supplements include calcium and phosphorus, making tap water taste more like mineral water.

Funny-Tasting Water? Give Us a Call

You don’t have to put up with funny-tasting water, regardless of the cause. Besides the awful taste, water that tastes weird could also pose a serious health risk to you and your family. You best contact a plumber to eliminate the weird taste once and for all.

Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Prescott today if you have funny-tasting water in Prescott, AZ. You deserve clean, tasteless, and odorless water in your home or business.

See our previous blog post here!

Photo By Antonio Guillem at Shutterstock