There are several possible reasons why your filtered water may have a bad smell. One common reason is the presence of bacteria in the water. Bacteria can grow in water filters that are not properly maintained, causing a foul odor.
Another possible cause is the presence of chlorine in the water. Chlorine is added to tap water to kill bacteria and other contaminants, but it can also give water a strong, unpleasant smell.
In some cases, the bad smell may be due to the source of the water, such as if it comes from a well that has been contaminated by bacteria or other pollutants.
If you are concerned about the quality of your filtered water, it is recommended that you have it tested by a professional to determine the cause of the odor and find an appropriate solution.
Taste and odor are the things that most people find offensive and the reason that filters first came on the market.
If you have a water filter that gives you good taste and smell, but the water starts smelling bad after filtering it, these are the possible reasons.
Let us set some order in the matter.
The human body was designed to drink fresh fluids, with a balanced pH and a slight mineral content. A good filter can provide just the right pH and just a hint of minerals, if it includes an ion exchange step.
Odor: Rotten Eggs
Odor: Dirty or Earthy
Odor: Fishy Drinking Water
Odor: Bleach, Swimming Pool Smell
then it is time to replace the filter. While replacing the filter, you should also check if there are any other components inside the filter that might be causing the problem.
The drinking water distributed by municipal services is supposed to be safe because it has passed a thorough treatment, designed to remove, in a sequence of steps, one contaminant at a time.
Water Contamination however has many forms, as you can easily find if you are inclined to, and it is practically impossible to get pure water at the exit of the treatment plant. They will not even try.
In fact all services add chlorine or equivalent substances for disinfection, to make sure that pathogens and other harmful microbial parasites, viruses, bacteria and the like are killed or inactivated.
Nothing to brag about, if we think of purity. It is true that the treated water you get at your tap will not harm, generally, healthy adults.
It may still be quite dangerous to the health of children, babies, elderly or weakling persons and pregnant women, but it may be hard to prove the link.
Still odor, color and taste leave much to be desired, while additional undefined contaminants, not treated by the public service, may be coming from old piping systems.
You might decide, out of dismay, to depend on bottled water for drinking, hoping to have improved quality by a courageous leap. Unfortunately more often than not, bottled water is uncertain, inconstant, not better than plain tap water, as research has demonstrated.
Moreover the cost is prohibitive, if you care to sum up the expenses for a month or for a year, and if you consider transport and storage of the bottles. Moreover you should add the disposal of the empty plastic containers which are a nuisance for you and a scourge for the environment.
It is commonly agreed, and even recommended by official professionals, that a filtering system installed at the point of use, usually your kitchen faucet, will greatly improve the quality of the water you will drink, if you properly select, install and maintain (by periodic change) the home filter cartridges.
Many types of filters are available on the market. To select what will satisfy your needs you should probably check guaranteed performance and independent testing certifications, long time costs or economy of operation, and supplier’s reliability and commitment to the customers.
If the water filter smells of rotten garbage, it could be watered and the equipment or pipes you use have been contaminated with too much hydrogen sulfide. This means that your water filter is not capable of removing the funny smell. Try pushing the filter until it makes a click sound and then run 1-2 gallons of water out of it until the scent goes away.
If you notice a foul smell coming from your water machine, firstly make sure that there are no leaks in your plumbing system. If there are no leaks and if your filters are working properly, then check whether or not your faucet is leaking or has cracked pipes or fittings.
Can fish be a source of odors? Most filters for water contain carbon fibers, which can help eliminate odors in water. Carbon flakes are porous and absorb pollutants easily.
Can drinking contaminated water make you sick?
What are the risks of chlorine in drinking water? There are quite a few of them. Let’s start with one that is of utmost importance to parents.
What the EPA calls a safe level is only safe for a 150 pound adult or someone that weighs more. There are different safe levels for children, although facilities are not required to adhere to those lower levels! It is up to parents to find out what they are and find out what the level in their supply might be.
Children and small adults that consume the maximum safe level can develop anemia. That is one of the reasons that tap-water is not to be used when mixing infant formula. Parents are advised to use bottles or jugs of nursery water for mixing formula.
But, a safer alternative is to install a high quality filter on the kitchen tap. It’s actually less expensive and easier, too.
Developing digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel, chronic diarrhea or acid reflux disease are among the risks of chlorine in drinking water. The pH level is unsuitable for good digestion.
But the risks of chlorine in drinking water are not the greatest risk that we are faced with, when it comes to what is coming out of our taps.
Decades ago, scientists believed that it was the chlorine or the chloramines that caused the increased cancer incidence that was seen in urban communities. Now, they know that it is not the chemical disinfectants themselves, but the byproducts released when the disinfectants react with bacteria that are to blame.
The byproducts are referred to as disinfection byproducts or trihalomethanes or THMs. If you get a quality report from your local treatment facility, it should include a line for THMs.