Articles / Funny Tasting Water: Does Your Water Taste Like Dirty Socks?

Even though Americans enjoy one of the best drinking water supplies in the world, water that meets all EPA standards can still have problems you and your family find objectionable.

Such as water that tastes or smells like dirty socks.                

Water quality may differ from city to city, well to well, even home to home. It’s possible your water quality may not be the same as your next door neighbor’s. Finding the causes and solutions for drinking water problems, and the ideal water quality "fit" for your personal needs are simple with the proper information.

If your drinking water doesn’t meet your family’s quality standards, the problem usually can be solved either at the point-of-use or point-of-entry.

Common drinking water problems:

Iron - It takes just a trace of iron in water to cause trouble. Iron, in amounts of only 0.2 to 0.3 parts per million, can stain plumbing fixtures and laundry. In larger amounts, the water itself may appear rust colored and taste extremely unpleasant ... some might even say it takes like dirty socks.

Cloudy Water - When dissolved in water, some materials create an unappealing cloudiness that is far from the clear liquid most people prefer. Besides being unpleasant to look at and drink, cloudy water may contain minerals or particles which may erode pipes and stain sinks, plumbing fixtures, and clothing.

Naturally Occuring Contaminants - Some contaminating elements may occur naturally in water. These elements include radium, barium, and cadmium.

Man-Made Contaminants - Health-related contaminants from sources such as pesticides, industrial waste, landfills, underground storage tanks, and human and animal waste have been found in some private and public water supplies. When man-made contaminants are found, a local water utility usually brings in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help deal with the problem.