Why Does My Water Taste Bad?

Jun 05 , 2023

Have you been drinking your water? Ever since wellness trends have become a lifestyle, getting your eight cups a day has been an article of faith from health professionals, fitness buffs and everyone in between. Of course, everyone’s individual water needs vary, but it’s undeniable that our bodies need water to function at tip-top shape. It’s supposed to taste and smell like nothing, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, water can taste downright bad to the people drinking it. It’s even worse when your own home’s water comes with a funky taste. If you’ve ever dealt with this frustrating problem, stick around – we’ll find out what causes those weird tastes and how to deal with them.

What Makes Water Taste Bad?

There are a wide variety of reasons why your water tastes bad, but we’re going to narrow it down to some of the most common ones:

Mineral content. The same cause of hard water scale may be to blame for your water’s odd taste. According to scientific research, naturally occurring minerals like magnesium, calcium and bicarbonate can influence the taste of water, causing a bitter taste. This may be because of hard water’s high pH value. Water with a low pH, by contrast, is said to taste sour. If you’ve ever been to Florida, which typically has high mineral content, you may have experienced this firsthand.
Chemicals. Unfortunately, a variety of chemicals can get into water and influence its taste. The good news is, for the most common chemicals, you’ll be able to smell it first. Since many municipal water treatment systems use chlorine to disinfect water, a slight chlorine taste or smell isn’t out of the ordinary. However, if the chlorine smell is powerful – as in a poolside-after-treatment-type smell – this can be a major cause for concern. The same goes for water that tastes or smells like gasoline or turpentine. If it does, contact your local health department immediately.
Old plumbing. As plumbing ages, it will disintegrate into your water supply. If you have copper or iron pipes, you may experience a metallic taste. If you encounter a rotten egg, fishy, or moldy taste or smell, you may have bacteria in your pipes. However, if your water tastes sweet, beware: This can be caused by lead plumbing. A strong, copper taste can also lead to serious health issues. It’s best to get metallic-tasting water tested to see if further action needs to be taken.
Personal factors. Before you call the authorities and order testing kits, make sure that your water’s odd taste isn’t caused by something closer to home. If you’ve just eaten something with citrus, for example, you may find that your water will taste sweet. Health conditions can also affect taste: If you have diabetes or are undergoing chemotherapy, you may encounter sweet- or bad-tasting water wherever you go.

What Should I Do if My Water Tastes Bad?

Consider the source. Is your plumbing old? Do you use well water as your primary source? If you said yes to either question, you’re more likely to have bad-tasting water.
Again, consider the source. Is the bad-tasting water coming from every faucet in the household or just one? If it’s one faucet, you’ll probably be able to pinpoint the cause within the pipeline that leads to it. If every faucet’s water tastes bad, your cause may be found at your water’s point of entry, like your hot water heater. The bad taste could also come from a source outside your home. In that case, contact your local water authority.
When in doubt, test. Testing kits can be obtained through reputable retailers, but you may be able to get one from your local health department. Our blog post on testing can give you more tips.
Get a water filtration system. King Water Filtration systems can neutralize the most common causes of bad-tasting water, including bacteria, heavy metals and hard water scale. A King Water Filtration system will dramatically improve the quality of your water – and that means better-tasting water.

We hope this blog post has answered some of your questions. If you’re interested in setting up a water system today, contact us at 1-855-957-2166 or schedule a consultation via our contact form. You can also purchase King Water Filtration systems through Home Depot.