Once in a blue moon, you’ll get a fishy smell from your water. This is rare and weird—like your faucet decided to cosplay as a seafood market. Usually, it’s from barium or cadmium contamination, or from certain plastics in new faucets or hoses. (Yes, your new kitchen sink can smell like a cod.)
Why Does My Water Smell Like Sewer Gas? | ECM
If it’s a fresh plastic or rubber smell, let the water run for a few minutes to flush the system. If it doesn’t go away, stop drinking it and get a water test kit. You don’t want heavy metals in your morning coffee. Unless you’re training for a science experiment.
The Deep-Sea Swamp Issue
Finally, if your water smells like decaying vegetation—think swamp, bog, or pond scum—it’s likely from anaerobic bacteria in your water heater or well. These little guys thrive in low-oxygen environments and produce that vile organic smell. (They’re like the least fun roommates ever.)
Flushing your water heater once a year can fix this. If you’re on a well, check the well cap and consider chlorination. And please, don’t boil the water to “cook out” the smell—it’ll just make your whole house smell like a bog. Trust me, I’ve tried it. My kitchen still hasn’t forgiven me.
