Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Fort Lauderdale

What the city does before water reaches you

The City of Fort Lauderdale pumps its water from wells in the Biscayne Aquifer, its sole source of drinking water. According to the city's 2025 Water Quality Report, the water is softened, filtered, aerated and cleaned at the treatment plants to remove naturally occurring minerals, particles and dissolved gases, then disinfected with chloramines. Hydrogen sulfide is a dissolved gas, which is why a strong sulfur smell from the city supply itself is uncommon, and why the first place to look is inside the house.

In September 2026 the city began moving water from its new Prospect Lake Clean Water Center into the system, and the plant opened officially on October 15, 2026. It uses nanofiltration and ion exchange.

The hot-or-cold test

The Florida Department of Health's odor guidance comes down to which faucets smell:

• Hot only: the water heater.
• Hot and cold, but only on softened lines: bacteria in a water softener.
• Strong at first, fading as the water runs: bacteria in a well or the plumbing.
• Strong and constant in hot and cold: hydrogen sulfide in the groundwater feeding a well.

Seasonal homes and condos that sit empty for weeks are classic cases, because water sitting in a warm heater tank gives bacteria time to work. Run the hot tap for a few minutes before deciding.

Fixing a water heater smell

A smell created in the tank cannot be filtered out upstream. A licensed plumber or the heater manufacturer can advise on flushing and disinfecting the tank or changing to a different type of anode rod. Do not remove the anode yourself; it protects the tank and its warranty may depend on it. If you are replacing the heater anyway, ask about the anode type in the new model.

Wells in Broward County

Homes inside Fort Lauderdale are generally on city water, but some properties in the area use wells for irrigation, and some in other parts of Broward use private wells for the house. Well water does not get utility treatment. The Department of Health says hydrogen sulfide can occur in wells anywhere in Florida, naturally or from sulfur bacteria. Treatment options include aeration, oxidation and filtration, and activated carbon, chosen by how strong the odor is and what else is in the water. See aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells and well water treatment in Fort Lauderdale.

Chemical smell instead of eggs?

A pool or bleach smell is a different thing: the chloramine disinfectant. The city's 2025 report lists an average of 2.3 parts per million (range 1.9 to 2.8). That is handled by a chlorine and chloramine filter, not by sulfur treatment.

Not sure which you have? Jorge tests your water free at your home and helps you trace the source. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.

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