Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Aventura

Three checks you can do today

1. Hot or cold? Fill a glass from the cold tap, then one from the hot. If only hot smells, the water heater is the prime suspect.
2. Water or drain? Take the glass to another room and smell it there. If the glass is fine but the sink smells, the drain or trap is the source.
3. One unit or the whole building? Ask a neighbor. If several units notice it, tell management; it could be in shared plumbing or a central heater.

The water heater, in condos and houses

If your unit has its own tank water heater, often tucked in a closet, the same thing applies to you as to a house. When a heater sits unused, as it may when seasonal residents are away for months, bacteria can build up and react with the magnesium anode rod. The result is a sulfur smell from hot taps only. Typical fixes include flushing the tank, disinfecting it, or replacing the anode with a different type, done by a licensed plumber or following the manufacturer's guidance. NMB Water's 2025 report recommends flushing the water heater and household plumbing at least twice a year as general maintenance.

A filter on the cold line will not fix a smell created inside the heater. Jorge will tell you if that is what he finds.

Drains and dry traps

A sink, tub or floor drain that has not been used for a while can let sewer gas into the room, which smells similar. Running water to refill the trap often solves it. If it returns, a plumber should check the venting.

If you are on a well

Private wells are uncommon in Aventura, but if a property or association uses one, for irrigation for example, hydrogen sulfide can occur naturally in groundwater. Well treatment is configured from the well's test: aeration, oxidation with filtration, or carbon for low levels. See well water in Aventura and aeration vs. filtration.

Not to be confused with the chlorine weeks

About once a year NMB Water switches its Norwood plant from chloramine to free chlorine and flushes hydrants for roughly two weeks; WASD does the same with its system. That brings a stronger chemical, pool-like smell, which is different from rotten egg and passes on its own.

Book

If the checks above do not settle it, call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Jorge tests hot and cold water and tells you whether the fix is a plumber's job or a water treatment question.

Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist