Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Lake Worth Beach

Start with the Florida DOH checklist

The Florida Department of Health's well water fact sheet on odor and staining gives a practical way to locate the smell:

• Smell only from hot faucets: the problem is likely in the water heater.
• Smell from hot and cold, but only on water that passes through a softener: likely sulfur bacteria in the softener.
• Strong at first, fading as water runs: likely sulfur bacteria in the well or plumbing.
• Strong and constant on hot and cold: likely hydrogen sulfide in the groundwater.

The water heater case

Tank water heaters protect themselves with a sacrificial anode rod. In warm, still water, bacteria can react with the rod and form hydrogen sulfide. That can happen on any water supply, including Lake Worth Beach's chloraminated city water. It is often worse after a vacation or in a guest bath that rarely runs hot water.

A plumber can flush the tank or swap the rod for a different type. Check the heater manufacturer's guidance first, since rod changes can affect a warranty. A whole-home filter usually will not fix a smell that forms inside the heater.

Wells and irrigation water

Some properties in and around Lake Worth Beach use private wells for irrigation or drinking. Hydrogen sulfide can occur naturally in groundwater anywhere in Florida, according to the Department of Health. On an irrigation well, the smell hangs around the sprinklers and wet walls. On a drinking well, it shows up at every tap.

Treatment is chosen from the well's test, often aeration or oxidation followed by filtration. Iron frequently comes with it. See aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells.

A different smell: chlorine

If what you smell is bleach-like rather than rotten eggs, that is the disinfectant. The city uses chloramine and switches to free chlorine for a few weeks at a time for maintenance, as it did from August 24 to September 14, 2025. See chloramine filters.

What Jorge checks

Hot and cold taps side by side, the water heater's age and use, chloramine, pH, iron and, on a well, odor at the wellhead side of the plumbing. If the heater is the cause, he will tell you, and you may not need any treatment equipment. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.

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