Why Does My Faucet Water Smell Like Eggs?

That unpleasant sulfur smell can ruin your water. Learn why your tap water smells like rotten eggs and how to treat it.

The Rotten Egg Odor

A sulfur or rotten egg smell in your water is usually caused by hydrogen sulfide gas. While generally not harmful to health, it's incredibly unpleasant.

Isolating the Problem

• Only the Hot Water: If the smell is only present when you run the hot water, the issue is likely your water heater. The magnesium anode rod can react with sulfates in the water to produce the gas.
• Both Hot and Cold Water: If the smell is in both, the issue is likely with your water source (more common with well water) or municipal supply.
• Only One Faucet: If it's just one sink, the smell might actually be coming from a dirty drain, not the water itself.

Solutions

For water heater issues, a plumber can replace the magnesium anode rod with an aluminum or zinc one. For source water issues, specialized filtration systems may be required.