Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Lauderhill

The two-minute check

1. Run cold water at the kitchen sink into a clean glass, step away from the drain and smell it.
2. Do the same with hot water only.
3. Repeat at a bathroom sink.

• Hot only: the water heater.
• Hot and cold, every tap: the supply, most often a well.
• One sink only, glass smells fine: the drain, not the water.

Why the heater makes the smell

Lauderhill's water is lime softened, filtered and disinfected at the City's plant on NW 49th Avenue, and it leaves the plant without a sulfur odor. Inside a tank water heater, a sacrificial anode rod, often magnesium, protects the tank from corrosion. In warm, still water it can react with sulfate and with bacteria to form hydrogen sulfide. It shows up most in heaters that sit unused, such as in a seasonal condo or a guest suite, or after the thermostat was turned down.

Fixes a licensed plumber may suggest: flushing the tank, raising the temperature for a period, or replacing the anode with a different alloy or a powered anode. Do not remove the anode yourself; it can void the heater's warranty. A whole-house filter is not the fix for a heater problem, and Jorge will tell you so.

Sprinklers that smell

Some Lauderhill properties water their lawns from a shallow well or from a lake or canal instead of the City line. Shallow groundwater in South Florida can carry hydrogen sulfide and iron, so the smell shows up when the sprinklers run, often with orange staining on walls and sidewalks. That water never went through the City's plant. See orange stains in Lauderhill.

Private drinking wells

If the house itself runs on a well, the smell is in the water supply. The Florida Department of Health's well water guidance covers odor and staining and explains that hydrogen sulfide is common in Florida groundwater. Treatment depends on the level:

• Aeration releases the gas in a tank before the water enters the house.
• Oxidizing filtration turns sulfide and iron into particles the filter catches.
• Carbon handles only light odors.

Compare them on aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells.

What Jorge tests

On City water: disinfectant at a cold tap and at the hot side, so the heater is confirmed or ruled out before anything is recommended. On a well: hydrogen sulfide, iron, pH and hardness, with bacteria and nitrate sent to a certified lab. If the smell turns out to be in cold City water at every tap, call the City's Water Treatment Plant at 954-730-2972 so they can check.

Get it sorted

Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974 for a free in-home test.

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