Don't drink the water

February 2, 2006 3:36 PM

I just moved into a new apartment, and the water (from the sink, shower, etc.) smells a bit like chlorine/bleach. Should I be worried?

I'll probably get a Brita filter for drinking water, but what about for cooking? Will the unpleasant flavor/smell boil off? Is it bad to use it for brushing my teeth? What's the worst that could happen to me? Is there anything I (or the building owner) can do to fix it at the source?

posted by rorycberger to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Is it just the hot water that smells bad, or all of it? If the former, you probably have stagnant water in the boiler. This happened to me and AskMe's advice was to drain the boiler and let it refill. The smell went away in a few days. Drink bottled water for a little while until you are sure.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 3:46 PM on February 2, 2006

Does your water come from a different source than you did before you moved? Maybe it smells like chlorine because it's just more chlorinated.
posted by clarahamster at 3:59 PM on February 2, 2006

How long have you been there? Is it possible you are smelling the residue from a poorly rinsed cleaning job?
posted by synecdoche at 4:26 PM on February 2, 2006

Response by poster: Saucy - I smelled it with cold water too, but I'll check if it's more prominent with hot

clara - Not sure, I moved from San Jose to Sunnyvale (about 20 minutes from each other). Is there a way to find out?

synecdoche - that is possible, i haven't been there that long. But I think I've used the shower 4 times and it still smells.

Thanks for the possible explanations, but I'm also looking for info on what to do if I'm stuck with it. Is it bad for me? Should I complain to the landlord?
posted by rorycberger at 5:20 PM on February 2, 2006

Our fine city of San Diego just switched to chlorinating the water supply. From what I don't know, but it stinks. Literally.
We've been using charcoal (britta or whatever) filters for years and they work. Maybe your landlord will spring for one.

No, it's not bad for you, but I think it might be a bit more acidic than normal water. (If I drink it in a pinch, I get heartburn.)
posted by snsranch at 5:56 PM on February 2, 2006

Not sure, I moved from San Jose to Sunnyvale (about 20 minutes from each other). Is there a way to find out?

I hunted around and found this:

"The City of Sunnyvale has four different sources of water supply readily available: local groundwater from 9 operating wells, imported Central Valley Project and Delta water from the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) , Hetch Hetchy, and Sunol Valley water supply from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) , and recycled water produced at the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant for non-potable use. There are also about a dozen service area pockets in Sunnyvale receiving water from the California Water Company (CALwater). Any questions regarding the source and delivery of water from CALwater should be directed to their local office at [phone]."

The San Jose public works website says their water system is owned and operated by the city of San Jose.
posted by clarahamster at 7:10 PM on February 2, 2006

Oh, and if chlorine is the only flavor issue with the water, you can use a regular (ie, cheap) pitcher instead of paying for brita filters and the chlorine should dissipate in the fridge.
posted by clarahamster at 7:11 PM on February 2, 2006

I just moved back to New Orleans and my water is also super-chloriney. The Brita I bought does NOT help.
posted by radioamy at 7:19 PM on February 2, 2006

I just moved back to New Orleans and my water is also super-chloriney. The Brita I bought does NOT help.
I suspect New Orleans water is going to be undergoing some serious treatment for quite some time to come. Just a hunch, considering...
posted by Thorzdad at 7:13 AM on February 3, 2006

I lived in Milwaukee during the cryptosporidium infection. I now buy gallon jugs of water for 39 cents. I don't trust the city water...
posted by raster at 10:44 AM on February 3, 2006