Are you experiencing taste or odor issues with your water at home? This could be noticing something like chlorine or a rotten egg odor. Take a look at the FAQs below or give us a call at 800-553-5191 to discuss.
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It is normal to notice an odor or taste of chlorine in public water, as public water utilities are required by state and federal standards to utilize chlorine in the disinfection process. This part of the disinfection process inactivates bacteria in the water. The water is safe to drink.
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Pennichuck uses chlorine in the disinfection process. It is required to use chlorine as a disinfectant to meet state and federal standards. Chlorine in small amounts ensures the water is safe for consumption. Pennichuck monitors the chlorine levels in the water to ensure we are at or below the maximum level allowed by law.
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If you notice an increase in the odor of chlorine in your water, please try flushing your cold water tap for 5-10 minutes. If you notice an increase in the taste of chlorine, collect the water in a pitcher and refrigerate. Within a few hours, the water should no longer taste like chlorine. Another benefit of utilizing this technique is that there will always be cold water available, and you will not have to run your tap until the water is at your desired temperature, which helps conserve water and lower your water bill.
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Please call Pennichuck Water at 800-553-5191 with any questions or visit www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/what-is-chlorination.
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It is unusual that the cold water coming into your house will have a rotten egg odor. Typically, the culprit of this odor is either a sinks drain or your hot water heater.
The first step to identifying where the odor is coming from is to fill a glass with water that has the odor and bring it away from the sink, ideally in a different room. If the water no longer has the rotten egg odor, then there may be something in your sinks drain that needs to be cleaned. Cleaning the drain with a bleach product regularly is what we would recommend to stop this from occurring in the future.
If you still smell it, be sure to check other faucets in your home, and identify if it is the cold water or hot water that is creating the odor. If you have identified this as the hot water only, then this would be an issue with your hot water tank. This would need to be addressed by a plumber or someone licensed to fix hot water heaters.
If you have determined that the odor is coming from every faucet in your home and it is the cold water, please give us a call at 800-553-5191.
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If you are noticing a metallic or medicine taste or odor in your water, please contact us at 800-553-5191 so we can check on the cause the of disturbance. There could have been a main break nearby or we are out flushing in your area. A few questions to note when you call are how long you have noticed this taste or odor, have you recently experienced colored water, and have you had any recent plumbing or maintenance work done on your property, including sprinkler work.
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If you are noticing a musty taste or odor in your water, please contact us at 800-553-5191 so we can check on the cause the of disturbance. A few questions to note when you call are how long you have noticed the taste or odor, is it throughout the whole house, is it in the cold or hot water or both, and when you run the water for a few minutes does it go away.
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If you are having issues with your hot water tank, this is an issue that needs to be addressed by a plumber or someone licensed to fix hot water heaters. Pennichuck is not certified to fix or address hot water tank issues.
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Pennichuck does not add fluoride to the water coming from our water treatment plant in Nashua, however, we do purchase water from Manchester Water Works for certain service areas, and they do add fluoride to the water. If you have a concern regarding if your water contains fluoride or not, please contact us at 800-553-5191.