Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs in Wilton Manors

The hot-versus-cold test

1. Run cold water at a sink for a minute and smell it.
2. Run hot water at the same sink.
3. Check another faucet and the outside spigot.

The Florida Department of Health's well water fact sheet also points to the water heater when the odor appears only in hot water.

The water heater

Many Wilton Manors houses are decades old, and water heaters get replaced on their own schedule. A heater that sits unused, such as in a seasonal home, or one with a magnesium anode rod, is a common source. Options a plumber may suggest include flushing the tank, replacing the anode with a different alloy, or adjusting the temperature. This is plumbing work, not water treatment.

City water itself

Wilton Manors buys water from Fort Lauderdale that is treated and disinfected with chloramines. A sulfur smell from cold city water at every tap is unusual; call the Utilities Department at (954) 390-2190. During Fort Lauderdale's move to its new Prospect Lake plant, which began in September 2026, the city said taste, color or cloudiness might change temporarily, so report anything that persists.

Well water

Groundwater in South Florida can carry hydrogen sulfide. If your sprinklers run from a well, the smell near the lawn is likely that. For a private drinking well, treatment is configured from a test and may include aeration or oxidation and filtration. See aeration vs. filtration for sulfur smells and well water in Wilton Manors.

Odors that are not sulfur

Not every bad smell is hydrogen sulfide. A bleach or pool smell points to chloramine or a free chlorine week from Fort Lauderdale. A musty or earthy smell can come from a drain, a rarely used guest bathroom or a dishwasher, not the water itself; fill a clean glass, step away from the sink and smell it again. A gasoline or solvent smell is unusual and worth reporting to the city right away. Sorting the type of odor before calling anyone saves time, and Jorge can help you narrow it down at the free visit with simple side-by-side checks at different taps.

What Jorge checks

During the free visit he compares hot and cold taps, measures chloramine, pH and TDS, and helps you decide whether you need a plumber, the city, or a treatment system. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.

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