Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Plantation

What the city does about sulfur

Biscayne Aquifer groundwater can contain dissolved hydrogen sulfide, the gas behind the rotten-egg smell. According to the City of Plantation's water treatment page, after nanofiltration the water cascades over plastic media to remove hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, which eliminates odor and helps control pH. Then chlorine and ammonia are added for disinfection. So city water normally leaves the plant without a sulfur smell.

The most common home cause: the water heater

Tank water heaters have a sacrificial anode rod, often magnesium, that protects the tank from corrosion. In some homes it reacts with the water and harmless bacteria to produce hydrogen sulfide in the tank. Signs:

• Only hot water smells.
• The smell is worst after the heater sits unused, such as after a vacation.
• Cold water from the same faucet smells fine.

A licensed plumber can flush the tank or replace the anode with a different type; check the heater's warranty first. A filter will not fix a smell created after the filter, inside the heater.

Other in-home causes

• Drains: the smell comes from the sink drain, not the water. Fill a glass, walk away, and smell it.
• Unused lines: a guest bath that rarely runs can develop odors; run it for a few minutes.
• Carbon filter past its life: an old under-sink or fridge cartridge can start to smell.

Sprinklers and wells

If the smell comes from your sprinklers, or from a property with its own well, the groundwater has not been through the city's degasification. Some Plantation lawns are watered from shallow irrigation wells rather than the city line. A sulfur smell there is common and mostly a nuisance; treatment options include aeration and oxidation-filtration systems. See well water in Plantation and aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells.

What Jorge checks

• Hot and cold samples from the same faucet.
• Chloramine level, to compare with the city's 2025 average of 2.27 ppm.
• For wells: iron, hardness and pH, which shape which sulfur treatment works.

You get a plain answer about where the smell is coming from before anyone talks about equipment.

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