Testing your water for sulfate can help you improve your water quality. High sulfur levels in your water can cause foul odors and impact your living conditions. Even without the presence of smells, your water can have unsafe levels of sulfur. You shouldn’t have to compromise on your water quality and health. By identifying sulfur levels and sources, you can treat your water effectively and restore its excellent quality.
Do You Have Sulfur in Your Well Water?
A foul egg smell when running your water can indicate that your sulfur levels are too high. While sulfur is common in various drinking water sources like wells, too much sulfur in your water can cause problems.
Sulfate can linger in your home and leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth. It can also leave stains on your silverware, block your wells and irrigation systems, and corrode your metal plumbing pipes. Your drinking water should be clean, healthy and refreshing. High sulfate levels can affect your water quality, living space, plumbing and health.
Why Is There Sulfur in Your Well Water?
Sulfate minerals occur naturally in rock and sand and can dissolve into groundwater over time. Sulfate in groundwater can produce hydrogen sulfide gas, causing a sulfur smell in your well water.
Hydrogen sulfate gas is produced from various underground sources like plants and animals and can be filtered into your water source by bacteria. The sulfate smell might be more pungent when you run the hot water because heated water releases the trapped gas faster than cold water.
Is Sulfur Water Dangerous?
Sulfur water can make you sick depending on the sulfide levels in your water. High sulfur levels can cause dehydration and other gastrointestinal symptoms. High sulfate content in water can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms, especially in infants.
Many people can identify high levels of sulfide by taste and smell. Levels of hydrogen sulfide of 1 part per million (ppm) in water can cause unpleasant odors. Higher levels can deteriorate plumbing pipes.
Can You Drink Sulfur Water?
If the sulfur level in your drinking water is not too high, it shouldn’t lead to any health issues. However, too much sulfate could lead to the following problems:
- Diarrhea: High sulfate levels can cause diarrhea.
- Dehydration: Prolonged diarrhea from sulfate water can lead to dehydration.
- Unpleasant taste: Sulfate water can leave a sharp and bitter taste.
- Pipe-clogging slime: Sulfate slime can clog plumbing systems and stain clothes.
- Ineffective stain removal: Sulfates may reduce the power of bleach and make it challenging to clean and remove clothing stains.
Hydrogen sulfide also does not cause health issues in drinking water as long as the levels are not too high, but it can cause other problems, such as the following:
- Pungent taste: Hydrogen sulfide can impact how various foods and drinks taste and create an unpleasant experience.
- Corroded metal: Hydrogen sulfide wears away metals and reduces the life span of pipes, affecting a home’s plumbing system.
- Discolored appliances: Sulfates can stain bathroom and kitchen fixtures like taps, causing a yellow or black discoloration.
- Tarnished utensils: Silverware and other metal utensils like copper and brass can discolor.
- Foul odor: Hydrogen sulfide causes a rotten egg smell in water, making drinks and other beverages unappetizing.
Is Sulfur Water Good for Your Hair and Skin?
What are the effects of sulfur water on your skin? While many people may believe sulfate can benefit your hair and skin, there is limited evidence to support any beauty benefits. There is also little research on the benefits of prolonged use and consumption. When you use normal amounts, sulfur can be safe for you.
Various haircare, skincare and cosmetic products and food like eggs and fish contain sulfur. However, too much sulfur can be problematic, and like most things, it’s safer to use and consume in moderation.
Should You Treat Sulfate Water?
Too much sulfate in your water can be unpleasant. Treating sulfate water is one of the best ways to lower sulfate levels and improve water quality.
Sulfur odors can also remain in your home for a long time and become overwhelming. Treating sulfate water can help you avoid illness and improve your living space. Sulfur water treatment can also be a long-term solution for managing sulfur levels in your drinking water.
Here are some benefits of treating sulfate water:
Water Quality
Drinking water, coffee or tea and making food with tap water can be a pleasant experience again. Sulfate water treatment solutions can help reduce hydrogen sulfide levels and improve water taste. It can also help remove contaminants like lead, pollution, bacteria and viruses, enhancing water quality.
Plumbing
Sulfur can corrode and clog your metal plumbing system pipes. You can prevent sulfur slime from clogging your pipes and improve functionality with treatment. You can also reduce wear and extend your metal pipes’ life span.
Odor
The sulfide smell can become intolerable and impact your taste buds. It can also be nauseous and affect your living space. Sulfur water treatments can neutralize sulfide and remove odors. You can run your water without any foul egg smell and breathe sulfur-free air. You can also prevent sulfur from clinging to your home appliances and living areas.
Hair
Too much sulfur can dry and dull your hair. If your hair is dryer than usual or your hair color is fading with every wash, your sulfur water may be the culprit. Sulfur treatment can be an excellent solution for maintaining your hair’s moisture and color.
Health
Water provides various health benefits, and you should be able to enjoy it. Sulfate water can leave you feeling ill and affect your well-being. Nausea, dehydration and diarrhea can have unpleasant side effects, especially if you experience these symptoms often. With sulfur treatment, you can reap the benefits of healthy freshwater again and enjoy drinking water.
Costs
Store-bought water can be costly, especially if you buy water bottles daily. You shouldn’t have to avoid drinking your home water and spend time driving to the store each day. Sulfur water treatment systems can be a long-term investment, saving you time and money.
How to Treat Sulfur-Smelling Water
Removing sulfates and hydrogen sulfides from your water is the best way to treat sulfur water. You can remove any foul odor and improve water quality by identifying and eliminating sulfur. The first step in treating your sulfate water is to test your water.
Find the Source
Sulfur can come from hot or cold water. It can also come from your groundwater source, plumbing or water heaters. Finding the source can help get the best treatment solution. Identify if the smells are coming from your water faucet or heater.
Take note of when the scent starts. If you notice the smell after running your water, it can come from your well or plumbing system. A water treatment specialist can help verify the source and recommend accurate treatment solutions.
Test Your Water
A hydrogen sulfide water test is an excellent way to identify sulfur and sulfide levels in your water. A professional can use the test to determine the cause of poor-tasting and foul-smelling water.
Sewage pollution, which contains harmful contaminants like coliform bacteria and nitrates, is sometimes the cause of the odor. Professionals can test to identify how much sulfur and other contaminants are in your water and provide appropriate solutions.
Choose a Sulfur Water Treatment Option
Once you know what’s in your water and how much, you can take the proper steps to remove contaminants. The best treatment depends on the level and form of hydrogen sulfide or sulfates in your water and if other contaminants are present. Some water treatment options include the following:
- Aeration: An aeration system adds air to well water before it enters the home. This additional air can reduce levels of hydrogen sulfide in water by helping the trapped gas escape.
- Chlorine bleach: Chlorine bleach can treat sulfur water by reacting with hydrogen sulfide and destroying the odor. This method requires an automatic chlorinator to feed chlorine into the water system. A filter system then removes the sulfur and other sediment formed.
- Iron removal filter: You can use an iron removal filter to remove moderate amounts of hydrogen sulfide. The filter chemically reacts with the hydrogen sulfide, turning it into insoluble sulfur, which the filtering process can extract.
- Neutra Sul: Neutra Sul is a more stable hydrogen peroxide product that can counteract unpleasant sulfate smells and contaminates. Neutra Sul has a proven consistency and can prevent corrosion, discoloration, bad-tasting water and scaling from pollution degradation.
Other options include installing a water treatment system at your sink or a new well. If the rotten egg smell results from a rod in the water heater, you can solve the issue by replacing a magnesium rod with one made of aluminum or zinc.
Trust Long’s EcoWater for Expert Hydrogen Sulfide Water Testing
We offer more than water treatment at Long’s EcoWater Systems, Inc. Our professionals are water experts. We have years of industry experience and are knowledgeable about various water conditions.
We provide accurate testing and water diagnoses. We understand that all water is unique and take care to find the best treatment solution for you. Our expert technicians can test your water sulfur levels and provide quality and custom treatment systems. We also offer a complimentary in-home water analysis.
Get started with us for cleaner and healthier drinking water.