Why Does My Water Taste Different in the Summer?
Have you ever poured a glass of water on a hot summer day and noticed that it tastes slightly different than it did during the winter?
Maybe it tastes a little earthy, musty, metallic or more strongly chlorinated than usual. In some homes, the change is subtle. In others, it can be noticeable enough that people begin buying bottled water or avoiding the tap altogether.
The good news is that a seasonal change in taste does not automatically mean your water is unsafe. Water conditions, treatment requirements, household plumbing and even the temperature of the water can all affect what you taste.
Here are some of the most common reasons your water may taste different during a West Michigan summer—and what you can do about it.
1. Warmer Water Can Make Flavors and Odors More Noticeable
Water naturally becomes warmer as outdoor temperatures rise and the ground, lakes, reservoirs and distribution systems heat up.
Cold water tends to suppress flavors and odors. That is one reason water often tastes better when it is served directly from the refrigerator.
As tap water becomes warmer, tastes and odors that were already present may become easier to detect. The water itself may not have changed dramatically, but your experience of drinking it can change.
This is especially noticeable when water has:
A mild chlorine taste
Naturally occurring minerals
Trace amounts of iron or manganese
Earthy or organic odors
Sat in household plumbing for several hours
Try refrigerating a pitcher of tap water before drinking it. If the taste improves considerably when the water is cold, temperature may be contributing to the issue.
2. Seasonal Changes in Lake Michigan Can Affect Taste and Odor
Many communities across West Michigan rely on Lake Michigan or other surface-water sources for their municipal drinking water.
During the summer and early fall, warmer water temperatures, sunlight and available nutrients can contribute to increased biological activity in lakes. Seasonal algae growth may produce earthy, musty, moldy or occasionally fishy tastes and odors.
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy identifies algae blooms in source water as a common cause of short-lived, seasonal earthy, musty, fishy or moldy drinking-water odors.
The City of Muskegon similarly explains that these odors are typically connected to algae blooms in Lake Michigan and are most noticeable during the summer and fall. The city notes that seasonal changes in the lake can affect its chemistry and biology without necessarily making the treated water unsafe to consume.
This can be relevant to households in and around:
Muskegon
Holland
Grand Haven
Grand Rapids
Wyoming
Ottawa County
Kent County
Allegan County
Municipal treatment plants monitor source-water conditions and adjust treatment processes as needed. However, even properly treated water may retain a faint seasonal taste or odor.
3. Municipal Water Treatment May Change with the Season
Public water suppliers continuously monitor drinking water and make operational adjustments based on source-water conditions.
During warmer weather, treatment facilities may respond to changes involving:
Water temperature
Organic material
Algae
Bacterial activity
Increased community demand
Storm runoff
Changes in source-water chemistry
Disinfectants such as chlorine are used to control bacterial growth within public water systems. At times, homeowners may notice a stronger chlorine or swimming-pool-like taste or odor.
A chlorine smell does not necessarily mean that too much chlorine is present. EGLE notes that chlorine is commonly used by public water systems to reduce or eliminate bacterial growth and recommends contacting the local water supplier when a chlorine or bleach odor is persistent or concerning.
Because treatment processes are designed primarily to protect public health, a temporary variation in flavor may occur even when the water continues to meet applicable safety requirements.
4. Summer Water Demand Can Affect the Distribution System
West Michigan households typically use more water during the summer.
Common sources of increased demand include:
Watering lawns and gardens
Filling pools
Washing vehicles
Hosting guests
Taking more frequent showers
Running sprinklers
Cleaning patios and outdoor furniture
When demand changes, water may move through portions of the municipal distribution system at different rates. Hydrant flushing, water-main work and localized flow changes can also temporarily affect taste, odor or appearance.
Homes located near the end of a water main or in a lower-flow area may occasionally experience stale-tasting water. EGLE identifies low-flow and dead-end sections of a public water system as potential causes of stagnant or stale water and suggests contacting the water supplier about flushing procedures.
5. Water May Be Sitting in Your Home’s Plumbing
Not every summer water problem begins at the treatment plant.
Water that remains inside household pipes for an extended period can absorb tastes from plumbing materials or pick up metallic, stale or plastic-like characteristics.
This often happens:
First thing in the morning
After returning from vacation
In a guest bathroom that is rarely used
At a seasonal cottage
When a faucet has not been used for several days
In parts of a large home with limited water flow
If the unusual taste is strongest when you first turn on the faucet and improves after the water runs, the issue may be inside the home rather than in the municipal supply.
Before drinking or cooking, run the cold-water faucet until the water becomes noticeably cooler. Avoid using hot tap water for drinking or cooking because hot water can draw more material from plumbing and may have been sitting inside the water heater.
6. Your Water Heater Could Be Contributing to the Problem
Determine whether the taste or odor is present in the cold water, hot water or both.
When an odor occurs only in hot water, the water heater may be involved. Bacterial activity inside the tank or a reaction involving the water heater’s anode rod can sometimes produce a sulfur-like or rotten-egg smell.
EGLE advises that foul odors in hot water may be associated with bacteria growing around a magnesium rod in the water heater. A plumber may recommend servicing the tank or installing an anode rod made from a different material.
A simple comparison can help narrow down the source:
Fill one glass using only cold water.
Fill another using hot water.
Smell both glasses away from the sink.
Compare the results.
If only the hot water is affected, the problem is likely within the home rather than the community water supply.
7. Private Well Water Can Change During the Summer
Homes using private wells face a different set of seasonal considerations.
Heavy rain, flooding, drought, increased groundwater use and changing water-table conditions can affect well-water characteristics. Warm weather may also make existing issues involving iron bacteria, sulfur odors or sediment more noticeable.
Watch for changes such as:
Metallic taste
Rotten-egg odor
Cloudiness
Sediment
Orange, brown or black staining
Oily-looking residue
Sudden changes after a storm
Changes in water pressure
Private wells are not monitored by a municipal water department. The homeowner is responsible for testing and maintaining the well.
EGLE recommends working with the local health department when determining which tests are appropriate for a private well. The agency also notes that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends testing private wells for coliform bacteria and nitrate or nitrite at a minimum.
Taste, smell and appearance alone cannot confirm whether well water is safe. Some contaminants have no detectable flavor, odor or color.
Does Different-Tasting Water Mean It Is Unsafe?
Not necessarily.
Many seasonal taste and odor issues are considered aesthetic concerns. In other words, the water may taste unpleasant without presenting a known health risk.
However, homeowners should never assume that every change is harmless.
Contact your municipal water supplier, local health department or a qualified water professional when the change is:
Sudden
Strong
Persistent
Accompanied by discoloration
Present throughout the neighborhood
Associated with gastrointestinal illness
Connected to flooding or a damaged well
Combined with visible particles or sediment
Similar to gasoline, solvents, sewage or chemicals
Public water suppliers are required to test the water they provide and make water-quality information available to customers. Homeowners with private wells can arrange testing through EGLE or an appropriately certified laboratory.
A Simple At-Home Troubleshooting Checklist
Before assuming the problem is coming from the local water supply, try these steps.
Check more than one faucet
If the problem occurs at only one sink, the faucet, aerator, drain or nearby plumbing may be responsible.
Compare hot and cold water
An issue limited to hot water often points toward the water heater.
Remove and clean the faucet aerator
Sediment, mineral scale and organic material can collect inside the small screen at the end of the faucet.
Smell the water away from the sink
Sometimes the odor comes from bacteria or buildup inside the drain rather than the water itself. Fill a clean glass, walk into another room and smell it again.
Flush stagnant plumbing
Run the cold water until it becomes cooler, especially after a vacation or long period of low use.
Ask your neighbors
If several nearby homes notice the same change, it may be related to the public water system or local source-water conditions.
Review local water notices
Check for hydrant flushing, water-main repairs, boil-water advisories or other notices from your municipality.
Replace overdue filters
An old refrigerator, pitcher or under-sink filter can eventually make water taste worse instead of better. Follow the manufacturer’s replacement schedule.
Can a Home Water Treatment System Improve the Taste?
Yes, but the correct solution depends on what is causing the taste.
Different water-quality concerns require different treatment methods.
Activated carbon filtration
Carbon filtration can reduce many unwanted tastes and odors, including some chlorine-related and organic flavors.
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis can reduce a broad range of dissolved substances and is commonly installed to provide purified drinking and cooking water at a dedicated faucet.
Water softening
A softener addresses hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It may improve certain household water characteristics, but it is not designed to solve every taste, odor or contamination concern.
Iron or sulfur treatment
Private-well homes with iron staining or rotten-egg odors may require treatment specifically designed for iron, sulfur or iron bacteria.
The most effective system is based on the actual water conditions—not simply the symptom.
Start by Understanding What Is in Your Water
Summer water changes are common across Michigan, particularly in communities that rely on surface water and in rural areas served by private wells.
Sometimes the solution is as simple as flushing the plumbing, cleaning a faucet aerator or replacing an old filter. In other situations, testing may identify minerals, sulfur, iron, hardness or other conditions that require targeted treatment.
Pioneer Water Treatment helps homeowners throughout Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and the surrounding West Michigan communities understand what is happening with their water and determine whether treatment is necessary.
When your water suddenly tastes different, you should not have to guess why.
Experience the Pioneer Difference.
