Drinking Water Smells, Taste, and Odors

Written by Mr. Brian Oram, PG

Drinking Water Smells, Smelly Water, Taste and Odor Problems- Threshold Odor Number (TON)

Besides the parameters described in this report, the color, appearance, taste, smell, and odor of drinking water is the first clue to the homeowner that there may be a problem with the water.

It is important to note that some chemicals, especially organic compounds and bacterial agents, may be at toxic or at pathogenic (i.e., disease causing) levels, without any observable clues to a problem.

For this reason, it is recommended that you have your water tested at least annually.

Table 1 describes the common water quality problems that may be detectable based on the taste, odor, or appearance.
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Primary treatment method used to handle taste, smell, odor, or color problems may include filtration, filtration through a carbon filter, softening, reverse osmosis, chlorination and distillation.
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The type of pretreatment would depend on the concentration and type of contamination and associated water quality.

Taste, Smell, Odor, and Color and Associated Potential Problems

Taste Problems

Salty-brackish	High sodium
Alkali Taste Oily, Fishy, or Perfume-Like Taste	High hardness, total dissolved solids, high alkalinity Surfactants
Metallic Taste	Low pH, high metal content, corrosive water A metallic taste can be caused by inorganic chemicals such as iron (at levels over 0.004 mg/l), manganese (> 0.1 mg/L) copper (2-5 mg/l), and zinc (4-9 mg/l), nuisance bacteria

Odor / Smell Problems Drinking Water

Rotten-Egg Odor Smell Musty Odors Smell Earthy, musty, grassy, fishy, vegetable and cucumber	Hydrogen sulfide, sulfate-reducing bacteria, Softwater reactions in electric water heaters, algal by-products, bacteria, algal by-products, surfactants
Oily Smell	Gasoline or oil contamination, possibly nuisance bacteria
Methane Like Gas Smell	Organic decomposition - note natural gas has no odor, but the natural gas delivered to your home has mercaptans (sulfur -compounds) added that create a strong odor to help detect leaks.
Phenolic Smell	Industrial or gasoline contamination
Chemical Smell	Organic chemicals, Industrial

Color

Milky	Precipitation of carbonates, excessive air, suspended solids
Blackish Tint	Reactions with manganese and possibly iron, IRB/ Slime Bacteria, anaerobic bacteria
Yellowish Tint	Presence of humic or fluvic compounds, iron, IRB bacteria, anaerobic/aerobic bacteria
Reddish Tint Foam	Presence of Dissolved or precipitated iron, iron, IRB bacteria, anaerobic/aerobic bacteria Surfactants - Foaming Agents