If your water smells like a swimming pool or a freshly cleaned restroom, congratulations—your municipal treatment plant is working. Chlorine kills bacteria, but it can linger in the pipes, especially if you live far from the plant or if the water has been sitting in your home’s plumbing for hours.
Why Does The Water From My Bathroom Faucet Smell – Bathroom Guide by
Fill a pitcher and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour. The chlorine will evaporate, and your water will taste neutral. Pro tip: use this to impress guests with “crisp” ice cubes. If the smell is overpowering, your water utility might have over-chlorinated due to a maintenance event—call them.
The “metal coin” or “blood” smell
This one is alarming because it can feel metallic or even like you’re smelling pennies. That’s usually iron or manganese in the water, especially from old pipes or well systems. The smell gets worse when the water sits, because the metals oxidize.
In extreme cases, it can mean your pipes are corroding, which might drip lead or copper into your water. Test your water if you see orange or brown stains on your sinks. For minor cases, a whole-house water softener or filter system will fix it. Don’t ignore this one—iron is gross, but heavy metals are a health risk.
