Why Does My Tap Water Taste Bad?

Have you ever moved to a new town only to find that the tap water tastes bad? Or maybe you’re at a friend’s house and are given a glass of water that has an unpleasant taste or smell. What causes that bad taste or odor? Is your tap water safe to drink? What should you do if tap water tastes like soap or other unusual flavors?

Different Reasons Tap Water Tastes Bad

Nobody likes tap water that tastes bad. Your water should be refreshing and, most importantly, clean. There are a few possible culprits responsible for your bad-tasting tap water, including:

• Dissolved solids: Dissolved solids, also called Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), are the compounds left in your tap water after normal treatment and filtration. They can result from natural sources, street runoff, industrial waste, or chemicals used during treatment.
• Chlorine: Perhaps the most common taste found in tap water, chlorine can cause your water to taste like chemicals. While it’s generally safe, contact your local water supplier if the chlorine taste is unbearable.
• Natural metals: Tap water can contain natural metals like copper, iron, and lead. In low concentrations, these metals are harmless. However, rusty brown water shows high iron levels, and you should contact your water supplier immediately.
• Algae: During the summer, your tap water may taste moldy due to algal blooms in lakes, reservoirs, and other water sources, especially in regions like Florida.

What You Can Do

If your tap water tastes bad, consider these actions:

• Contact your local water supplier: Contact your local water supplier for a water quality report. If the problem persists, consider installing a water filtration system to remove unpleasant tastes and contaminants.
• Try bottled water delivery: You can have water delivered from a trusted source like Water Boy, Inc. to ensure you always have fresh, clean water.

Different Reasons Why Tap Water Smells Bad

If tap water collected from a particular sink or faucet has unusual smells, the problem is most likely in the fixtures or pipes supplying that faucet. However, if you notice strange odors in your water or from your faucets throughout the home, your main water supply could be contaminated. Common smells found in Florida tap water include:

• Bleach, chemical, or medicinal odors: Certain chemicals must be added to Florida tap water before it’s declared safe to drink. Sometimes, these chemicals interact with organic materials in your home or office plumbing, adding odor to the water.
• Sulfurous or decayed odors: A sulfurous or rotten egg smell indicates bacterial growth in your water supply. This can be caused by hair, soap, or waste in drains, bacteria growth in your water heater, or bacteria growth in your well.
• Moldy, earthy, or fishy odors: If your tap water smells moldy, earthy, grassy, or fishy, it’s important to call your water supplier. These odors can stem from decaying organic matter in the drain or pollution of well water from surface drainage.
• Soapy odors: A soapy, detergent-like smell or consistency in your water often means septic tank leakage has infiltrated your water supply.
• Gasoline or fuel-like odors: Although rare, a fuel-like odor in tap water can be caused by a leaky fuel tank near wells, agricultural runoff, or discharge from factories or landfills.

What You Can Do

If your tap water smells bad, take these steps:

• Consult with a plumber: Contact a plumber if the odor is localized to a single faucet, as the issue may be in the pipes.
• Contact your water supplier: If the smell is widespread or unusual, contact your water supplier immediately. It could indicate a serious contamination issue.
• Consider switching to bottled water: It’s a good idea to have water delivered from a reliable delivery service like Water Boy, Inc. until the issue is resolved.

Florida’s Trusted Bottled Water Delivery Service

Avoid drinking bad-tasting or foul-smelling tap water by choosing bottled water you can trust. Contact Water Boy, Central and Southern Florida’s trusted water delivery service, to schedule your home or office bottled water delivery today. We offer:

• Distilled bottled water
• Spring bottled water
• Spill-proof bottles
• 3-gallon water bottles
• 5-gallon water bottles
• BPA-free water bottles

Contact us today for top-quality water delivery services.