turn on sink water, smells like rotten eggs

I moved into a new apartment and when I turn on the water in my bathroom sink, it smells like rotten eggs for a few seconds.

What the heck ?

 

Probably shit in the pipes or water heater. You could ask maintenance but I doubt they will do anything. My water smells weird but tastes delicious.

 

The water may have a high sulfur content, our ranch in central texas has the same issue when the water is turned on.

 

That's how the water is at my place. The smell goes away fairly quick though.

 

is it well water? If so well water has a high sulfur content and it usually means the filter on the well pump needs replacing.

 

Not that it will make any difference but I'd open all the taps and let it run for several hours.

 

Is it the water itself or the drain? We had that issue where the hand sink smelled when the water drained. Turned out to be a broken pipe and the water was draining into dirt underground

 

now you can fart in the shower and get away with it.

 

from google.


Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) can occur in wells anywhere in Minnesota, and gives the water a characteristic "rotten egg" taste or odor. This brochure provides basic information about hydrogen sulfide gas and sulfur bacteria and discusses actions that you can take to minimize their effects.

What are the sources of hydrogen sulfide in well water and the water distribution system?
Hydrogen sulfide gas can result from a number of different sources. It can occur naturally in groundwater. It can be produced by certain "sulfur bacteria" in the groundwater, in the well, or in the water distribution system. It can be produced also by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters. In rare instances, it can result from pollution. The source of the gas is important when considering treatment options.

Are sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide harmful?
In most cases, the rotten egg smell does not relate to the sanitary quality of the water. However, in rare instances the gas may result from sewage or other pollution. It is a good idea to have the well tested for the standard sanitary tests of coliform bacteria and nitrate. Sulfur bacteria are not harmful, but hydrogen sulfide gas in the air can be hazardous at high levels. It is important to take steps to remove the gas from the water, or vent the gas to the atmosphere so that it will not collect in low-lying spaces, such as well pits, basements, or enclosed spaces, such as well houses. Only qualified people who have received special training and use proper safety procedures should enter a well pit or other enclosed space where hydrogen sulfide gas may be present.

 

Mine did that when i first moved. I let all the faucets in the house run for a few minutes and it went away

 

We get "rotten egg" sulphur water once a year. We are on well and septic. In our case it is bacterial. It is not dangerous to drink, it just smells terrible. There are other causes for this smell, so you have to determine the cause before a fix can be had. In our case, we do the following:

Bypass softener if you have one.

A bottle of bleach poured down the well.

Recirculated via a garden hose for 15 minutes (put garden hose down well and run for 15 minutes)

Then run every faucet until you can smell the bleach and shut off. Run the hot water out of the bathtub to get it some of the bleach into the hot water tank, especially if bacteria related.

Leave for 2-24 hours, don't use the water. 4-6 hours works well for me.

Attach garden hose outside to nearest drain, forest, whatever away from the house, and run the water until the bleach smell subsides. Run your taps a bit and flush your toilets and you are good to go.

Skip the last step if you don't have a septic tank.

 

Shocking (bleach treatment) won't help long term if you have Hydrogen Sulfide gas in well water.
It can help to install a "contact tank" where the well water enters the building. It gives the water the opportunity to gas off before it is delivered to the tap. Talk to a local plumber or water treatment specialist (I recommend the plumber. water treatment guys like to sell equipment).

 

I'm not on a well so it leads me to believe there could be bacteria or something in the water.

 

Probably all the shitty napkins your flushing

 

If you're not on a well, it might be worth having the water tested. I grew up in a house that had sulfur water (it was on a well), never heard of public water having sulfur.

 

mine was the same way the first two weeks i moved in, now it's normal smelling water.

 

Dude this is Dante's Peak 2.0!!! A volcano is about to erupt in your little town and if you don't trust the hunky Pierce Brosnan because he took a cup of water that smelled like rotten eggs and proved that it means a volcano is about to blow! Hop in an armored up Suburban and drive it straight into the nearest mine shaft right meow!!!This water smells fishhay fishhaaayyyyy

 

perhaps it's just an after effect, of cleaning your faucets with shit stained napkins?

 

Does the cold water have a shitty smell or is it just the hot water?

Seeing as you are on town water (not a private well), I am almost 100% positive it is the hot water heater. Bacteria in the water reacts with the magnesium and aluminum anode rod in the tank which release hydrogen sulfide gases.

Put a cup under the faucet and turn on the cold water - smell the water and report any staaank. Go to a different faucet and do the same thing with the hot water. Best way to eliminate the smell would be to replace the anode rod in the hot water heater with a Zinc/Aluminum one.