The hot-and-cold check
The Florida Department of Health's guidance on odors gives a simple method:
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Smell only from hot taps | Water heater |
| Strong at first, fades as water runs | Sulfur bacteria in a well or plumbing |
| Constant from hot and cold | Hydrogen sulfide in the groundwater (wells) |
| Only from softened water | Bacteria in the softener |
Snowbird homes and the water heater
Plenty of Pompano Beach homes and condos sit empty for months. Warm, still water in a tank heater, combined with a magnesium anode rod, can produce hydrogen sulfide. That matches the city's FAQ answer. Flushing the heater, replacing the anode with a different type, or having a plumber service it often solves the problem without any filtration. If that's the cause, Jorge will tell you.
Irrigation water and outdoor smells
Many Pompano Beach yards are watered with the city's OASIS reuse water or from private irrigation wells. Well water drawn from the shallow aquifer can carry sulfur odor and iron. If the smell is around sprinklers and not at your kitchen tap, the drinking water is not the issue. See iron stains and well water treatment.
If you drink from a private well
The Department of Health notes hydrogen sulfide can occur in wells anywhere in Florida, and that sulfur bacteria are not harmful, but recommends testing a drinking well regularly for coliform bacteria and E. coli. Treatment for sulfur, such as aeration or oxidation and filtration, is chosen from the well's test. Compare options in aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells.
Quick fixes to try first
- Run the hot water for several minutes and smell again; note whether it fades.
- Check the cold tap separately. Cold with no smell points away from the city supply.
- Look at the heater's age and when it was last flushed.
- If the home sat empty, flush every fixture, starting with the farthest from the meter.
If the smell is at every tap, hot and cold, on city water and doesn't clear, call the Pompano Beach Utilities lab at 954-545-7018 so the city can check it. That is unusual, and the utility should know.
What Jorge checks
Hot and cold taps, chloramine, pH and iron, plus the water heater's age and how long the home sat unused. If chloramine is low at your tap after a long vacancy, that clue matters too. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.
https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov/residents/utilities/water
https://www.floridahealth.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/well-water-facts-odor-staining.pdf
https://www.pompanobeachfl.gov/residents/utilities/oasis-reuse
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist