Sulfur issue from city water?

Question

Hello BP community. I am a DIY landlord and one of my tenants reached out and said " the overflow hole in the bathroom sink has a sulfur smell" and "the water has been leaving a yellow buildup around the drains" the tenant has used bleach to attempt to resolve this however it continues to come back. Any suggestions?

Bryan Petrinec · Answer

Get the water tested, it is usually free from a local water softener company.  If it is city water, there should be public records of water quality you can compare it against. If it is well water, you may need to install some additional water treatment to get rid of it.  Well water can change composition depending on the level of the water table.  Just make sure it is a sulfur smell and not a "rotten egg" smell.  The rotten egg smell is an indication of hydrogen sulfide in the water which can occur naturally, but is very corrosive and can cause problems with plumbing and fixtures.  Sulfur is also a problem but is less immediate need to fix and is harmless.