Borehole water comes straight from the ground, so its quality depends on the rock and soil it passes through. Smell, colour and stains each point to a different cause.
Rotten egg smell
A "rotten egg" smell is usually hydrogen sulphide gas, often from bacteria in the borehole or water heater. It's unpleasant but common.
- If it's only in the hot water, the geyser's anode can react with the water. A plumber can change the anode type.
- If it's in all the water, the borehole may need shock chlorination by a borehole company, and possibly an aeration or filter system.
Orange, brown or black stains
- Orange-brown stains on basins, toilets, paving and walls watered by sprinklers usually mean iron in the water.
- Black stains usually mean manganese.
- Both can be removed with iron and manganese filters, often an oxidising filter. A water test shows how much there is, so the right system can be sized.
Cloudy or sandy water
- Sand or silt can mean the pump is set too low, the casing is damaged, or the borehole needs development or flushing. Sand also wears out the pump. See borehole pump problems.
- Cloudiness that settles in a glass is usually sediment. Cloudiness that clears from the bottom up is usually just air bubbles.
Is it safe to drink?
You can't tell by look or smell. Bacteria such as E. coli and chemicals such as nitrates have no smell or colour. Have the water tested by an accredited laboratory before drinking it, and retest regularly. See borehole water testing. For drinking water, many homes add UV treatment after filtering.
Need someone to look at it? Compare borehole companies in Benoni, or see pump installation and repair.