Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Opa-locka

Three checks you can do tonight

1. Hot versus cold. Run each separately at the same sink. Hot only points to the water heater.
2. Glass test. Fill a glass and smell it in another room. If the glass is fine, the drain is the source.
3. Every tap or one tap. One bathroom only suggests that fixture, its drain or little-used plumbing.

Pool smell or egg smell?

Why water heaters do this

Most tank heaters have a sacrificial anode rod, often magnesium, to slow tank corrosion. In warm water that sits for days, bacteria can react with the rod and release hydrogen sulfide gas. Rarely used bathrooms, homes that were empty for a while and heaters set to low temperatures are typical cases. A plumber can flush the tank or change the rod type; check the heater's warranty terms first, since rod changes can affect them.

Well water and sprinklers

WASD draws from the Biscayne Aquifer and treats the water before it reaches the city's pipes. A private or irrigation well pulls the same groundwater with no treatment, so it can carry hydrogen sulfide and iron straight to sprinklers or taps. Miami-Dade's year-round irrigation rules apply to wells as well as city water. For a drinking well, the usual fixes are aeration or oxidation followed by filtration, chosen from the well's test. See aeration vs. filtration and well water in Opa-locka.

When to call the city

If a smell shows up suddenly at every tap, with discoloration or a pressure change, call Opa-locka Public Works at 305-953-2828, or the emergency line at 786-644-6890 after hours. That pattern points to the system, not your heater.

What Jorge checks

Hot and cold at several taps, chloramine, pH and iron, and the water heater's age and type. If the heater or a drain is the cause, he will tell you, and you may not need a filter at all. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.

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