If your tap water tastes like metal, you’re not alone. Many homeowners notice this unpleasant flavor, especially first thing in the morning or after water sits in the pipes for several hours. That metallic tang often comes from iron, copper, or even lead in aging plumbing systems, but it can also result from chemical reactions in treated municipal water or simply from natural minerals present in private wells.
Understanding the source is the first step toward safer, better-tasting water. This guide will cover what causes that metallic taste, how to test it, and what to do next.
What Causes the Metallic Taste in Your Water?
Several substances can cause a metallic taste in drinking water, often from common elements like iron and copper, and more toxic substances like lead.
Older, rusty city or residential pipes made of iron are often the culprit. However, lead or copper pipes may also impart metallic flavors. Although lead for use in plumbing was outlawed in 1986, buildings older than that often still contain lead pipes and lead solder. Additionally, many municipal supply pipelines were built before the 1970s and may contain substantial amounts of lead.
Copper pipes are no longer used today, but again, they’re still common in older buildings and can cause unpleasant tastes. Frequently, it will taste more metallic in the morning after sitting in the pipes all night and lessen throughout the day.
Treated municipal supplies with high chlorine levels may also produce a metallic taste. Chlorine will often react with the metals in municipal supply pipes or those in your home, leaving a bitter, metallic taste.
For those in newer homes using private wells, seepage of iron or manganese from the surrounding rocks and soil or corrosion of metal well casings is likely the cause.
If you notice a metallic taste, you should have your water tested to ensure it doesn’t contain lead or excessive levels of other metals, which can cause adverse health effects.
Identifying Common Metal Contaminants
These are the most common metal contaminants found in drinking water that give it that metallic taste.
- Iron
- Lead
- Zinc
- Manganese
- Copper
Trace Metals and Their Effects
While trace levels of iron, zinc, copper, and manganese are not hazardous to your health, they can impart a metallic flavor and are listed under the EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations for aesthetic effects. This covers issues such as tastes, odors, and colors, including staining and discoloration of sinks, toilets, clothes, and even skin. These metals can also clog appliances over time, causing damage.
The problem with trace metals is that they’re non-biodegradable; once in your water, they cannot be removed without filtration. Furthermore, boiling water does not affect them and may concentrate them to harmful levels.
Excessively high levels of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron can cause serious health effects and significantly worsen the aesthetic impact. Some trace metals, such as lead, are considered toxic at any concentration. Therefore, it’s crucial to test for lead if your water has a metallic taste.
Is Metal-Tasting Water Harmful?
In most cases, metallic tastes are caused by things like rusty iron pipes or copper pipes, and while not pleasant-tasting, they’re typically not harmful to drink. However, excessively high levels of iron can cause gastrointestinal issues, and too much copper can also cause gastrointestinal issues as well as liver and kidney damage.
The presence of manganese, while safe in trace amounts, can cause neurological and behavioral problems in excessive amounts. Excessive zinc, on the other hand, can lead to gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous system issues.
Finally, lead is harmful in any amount, especially for young children, who can experience serious developmental and behavioral issues even at low concentrations. That’s why the EPA sets safe limits for lead at zero. Therefore, you should have your water tested to determine if it has lead or other toxic heavy metals.
Understanding Water pH Levels
The pH of your water may also affect the flavor. pH stands for potential Hydrogen, and put simply, it’s a measure of how acidic (think vinegar) something is at pH levels below 7.0 or how alkaline (think soap) it is at pH levels above 7.0.
The normal pH range of drinking water is between 6.5 and 8.5. If yours is 6.5 or lower, you may notice a sour or acidic taste that can resemble metal. Also, low pH makes some metals more soluble, increasing their concentration.
What Should You Do if Your Water Tastes Like Metal?
If your water tastes like metal, ask your municipal supplier for their routine test results. However, municipalities are only required to test for substances listed under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs), which cover substances like lead that cause adverse health effects. They’re not required to test for those aesthetic effects, which include metals listed under the National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs), the more likely culprits that cause the metallic flavor.
Therefore, the best course of action is to have your water tested by a lab. A basic test should identify most metallic compounds. However, a more advanced test that detects a wider range of substances will provide a more accurate picture of the contaminants in your system. This should be done before buying a filtration system, as it will help you determine the best system for your home.
After you receive your test results, examine any detected contaminants. Note in particular any contaminants found at concentrations near or above the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) listed by the EPA under the NPDWRs and NSDWRs. This will ensure you can address contaminants that can cause undesired health effects and those that impart metallic tastes.
Once you know what contaminants you want to remove, it’s time to choose the right filtration system to address those particular contaminants. Often, this means selecting more than one type of filter to address all your known contaminants. Woder is a US manufacturer of high-quality under-sink filtration systems designed to address all issues with municipal water supplies. They also accept bids, delivering quality systems at discounted prices to businesses, institutions, and other organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Okay To Drink Water That Tastes Like Metal?
It depends on what is causing it to taste like metal. Trace amounts of iron, zinc, copper, or manganese often cause metallic flavors, and while unpleasant, they aren’t unsafe to drink. However, excessive amounts can be toxic, and any amount of lead in your water is considered hazardous.
Metallic Taste Can Signal Contaminants and May Need Testing and Filtration
A metallic taste in your water isn’t just unpleasant; it can indicate the presence of metals that may pose potential health risks, especially if lead is involved. Start by testing your water to identify contaminants and determine their concentration levels. From there, choose the appropriate under-sink filtration solution to remove those substances.
At Woder, we manufacture high-performance, US-made filtration systems tailored to your needs. Whether you’re outfitting a home or managing multiple locations, we’ve got you covered. We regularly accept bids for large supply contracts; contact us for discounted quotes if you’re a business seeking long-term filtration solutions.
