[dnabarlow]

We just had all of the plumbing underneath our house replaced... sewage lines. The 4 inch line & the lines from the bathrooms were dug out & replaced with pvc. The lines from the kitchen & laundry where relined to connect into the new pvc 4 inch sewage line.

After this, the tenants reported that the water smells like sewage. From reading, it seems like this might just be some trapped gas in the p-trap that is released when they use the water again after it all being opened up to have the plumbing done.

We've called the neighbor & find that they don't have sewage smell, so that seems to indicate it is not the city water... not to mention, we've never had sulfur smelling water at this house when we lived there for 3 years.

The only thing that gets me on this is that they put water in a kiddie pool out back & the next day it smelled like sewer water... and this has nothing to do with p-traps?

As a note... our incoming water comes in at the front corner of the house, goes up the wall & through the attic in metal pipes, then down walls to the appropriate plumbing fixtures. It doesn't seem that the plumbing work under the house would have come anywhere near this.

Any ideas or suggestions?
My thanks in advance...

[hkstroud]

Do you have a water softner?

[dnabarlow]

No, we do not have a water softener or any type of whole-house filter. I must add, on the kiddie pool, this house is located in hot, humid, Houston... where we also know we have an abundance of critters like raccoons, birds, and opossums! We're wondering if any of that has to do with the kiddie pool water stinking the next day... if that were the case, I'd definitely think p-traps from what I read, but I'm still uncertain. I also don't know the size of the kiddie pool they used...

Thank you for your assistance!

[speedball1]

they put water in a kiddie pool out back & the next day it smelled like sewer water... and this has nothing to do with p-traps

Time to call, in The Health Department and have your water tested for bacteria. This could result in flushing out your water pipe system. Good luck, Tom

[dnabarlow]

Thank you, Tom...
Can you clarify for me a bit more... would the presence of bacteria make all the water in the house stink? And would it take a day before it smelled or would you smell it as it comes out of the faucet?

When they rechecked the faucets in the house & the sprinkler system last night, they said there was no odor... which makes me think again p-traps.

Can you clarify the bacteria for me... what they are & how you might know you have them & if the water would smell as soon as it came out or if it doesn't smell until it stands for a day?

Thank you!

[speedball1]

it seems like this might just be some trapped gas in the p-trap

"P" traps don't trap gas. They are designed to prevent sewer gas from escaping.

would the presence of bacteria make all the water in the house stink?

Yes!

When they rechecked the faucets in the house & the sprinkler system last night, they said there was no odor... which makes me think again p-traps.

So they gave it the sniff test. But did they test for bacteria?

Can you clarify the bacteria for me... what they are & how you might know you have them & if the water would smell as soon as it came out or if it doesn't smell until it stands for a day?

There are different types of bacteria. If it smells after setting that simply means they're growing. Have the water tested ASAP, Good luck, Tom