Wondering why your well water smells like metal? There might be:
Here’s how to fix it:
Continue reading to find the top five causes of metallic taste issues in well water and their fixes.
🤔Why Does My Well Water Taste Metallic All Of A Sudden?
If you have smelly water issues, you can watch for the following causes:
| Reasons | Fixes |
| Iron/Manganese In Well Water | Install air injection oxidation + Manganese Greensand filters. |
| Sulfur (H2S) In Well Water | Install air injection oxidation filters. |
| Iron and sulfur bacteria in well water | Perform shock chlorination to disinfect the water or 3% hydrogen peroxide treatment for sulfur bacteria. |
| Acidic Well Water (can cause copper, lead, or zinc pipe leaching) | Install acid-neutralizing filters. |
| Well Water Hardness | Install water softeners. |
🟠Iron/Manganese In Well Water
How It Causes Metallic Water Taste
The presence of iron and manganese (more than 0.3 milligrams per liter) can impact your water quality.
Some of the iron-related problems include an unpleasant metallic taste, rusty or corroded plumbing, discolored water, and stained clothing, appliances, bathroom sinks, and fixtures.
How To Fix
🤢Sulfur (H2S) In Well Water
How It Causes Metallic Water Taste
If your water smells like rotten eggs, these are possible signs of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide forms sulfur with heavy rain that seeps into the ground and mixes with the groundwater bodies.
Sulfur-containing water can:
How To Fix
🦠Iron And Sulfur Bacteria In Well Water
How It Causes Metallic Water Taste
A common contaminant like iron bacteria may grow in water containing iron and produce biofilm in pipes, whereas sulfur bacteria may consume organic matter to multiply while producing sulfur.
Through chemical reactions with organic compounds, these bacteria can form byproducts that give a slime coating to well components and affect the water’s taste and odor.
How To Fix
🧪Acidic Well Water
How It Causes Metallic Water Taste
Acidic water means your well water has a low pH because of acid rain percolating through the soil and mixing with the groundwater. Fertilizer discharge into rivers can also make groundwater acidic.
It can corrode and leave stains on your copper, lead, or zinc pipes. Also, consuming acidic water may damage or weaken your teeth and bones.
How To Fix
👎🏻Well Water Hardness
How It Causes Metallic Water Taste
Hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium, when present more than 7 GPG, are responsible for a metallic taste and clog the plumbing system with limescale formation.
How To Fix
🩺Is It Safe To Drink Water That Smells Like Metal?
Whether or not the metal-smelling water is safe to drink depends on the type and level of harmful contaminants.
👷🏻How Do You Get Rid Of The Metallic Water Smell And Taste?
Here’s a summary of how to deal with the metallic smell and taste of the water:
💡Well Water Smells Like Metal: FAQs
Why does my shower water smell like metal?
Your shower water smells like metal, probably due to rust stains or contamination of iron bacteria.
Taking a bath or drinking metal-smelling water is not a safe option. Clean the showerhead and contact the water system professional.
What does manganese in water smell like?
Manganese in water may give a foul odor like raw sewage or oil.
Why does the water smell like metal with a water softener?
If your water smells like metal with a water softener, it’s a sign that the water is acidic.
Perform a water test to check the pH along with the water hardness level for such issues and install an acid-neutralizing filter.
Why does water smell like blood?
If your water smells like blood, there is a possibility that your plumbing system is in contact with animal residues.
You can hire a water professional to inspect and fix the issue if leakage is anywhere.You can hire a water professional to inspect and fix the issue if leakage is found anywhere.
Why does my water taste metallic after COVID?
Post-COVID infection, if you taste water as metallic, it might be due to dysgeusia.
According to some theories, it occurs primarily due to an inflammatory reaction as the virus binds to the receptors in our mouth.
Sayan understands that access to clean water doesn’t have to be costly.
He strives to provide knowledge of water purification techniques in the simplest way possible so that we can lead a healthy life without breaking our bank.
