Why Your Water Tastes Sweet (& If It's Okay to Drink It)

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Temporary and long-term solutions to fix your sweet-tasting water
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It can be pretty off-putting to get a sudden unusual taste in your water, whether it's metallic, bitter, or smells like you just took a dip in a swimming pool. But if you detect an unusual sweet aftertaste in your water, it could be due to a number of factors—ranging from a high mineral content or plumbing issues to underlying health conditions. Whatever the reason, it’s important to pinpoint the cause and find a solution to return your water to normal. Follow along with this guide to discover why your water tastes sweet and how to fix it!

Causes of Sweet-Tasting Water

The tap water in your home may naturally contain minerals like calcium or iron that can create a sweet taste in your mouth. However, your water may also taste sweet due to bacteria build-up in your plumbing system—try running your faucets for 30 minutes to clear your water of unusual tastes or odors.

Section 1 of 4:

9 Reasons Why Your Water Tastes Sweet

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  1. An excess of minerals like calcium and iron can cause a sweet taste to your tap water. [1] While these minerals don’t pose a significant health hazard, they can clog water appliances, encourage bacterial growth, and contribute to hard water—which in turn causes stiff laundry, dry skin and hair, and mineral buildup on your appliances. [2]
    • What to Do: If mineral build-up is a recurring issue in your household water, consider investing in a water softener that you or a plumber can hook up to your plumbing system.
  2. Many cities and municipalities treat their water supply with chlorine to kill germs and bacteria. If you’re particularly sensitive to chlorine, however, you may perceive a sweet or swimming-pool-like taste to your water. Chlorine in your water isn’t linked to any health issues or contaminants, so it may just be something you have to get used to if it’s used by the city you live in. [3]
    • If you have pet fish or other aquatic animals (e.g., reptiles, amphibians), be aware that chlorinated water may be harmful or toxic to them. If you have chlorine in your tap water, avoid using it to fill the tank of any aquatic pets in your household. [4]
    • What to Do: If you think you have chlorine in your water, letting it sit in a container for 8-12 hours or boiling it for 15 minutes might temporarily resolve the issue. In the long-run, installing a water filter should get rid of the taste. [5]
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  3. Biofilms are layers of bacteria, fungi, algae, and other microorganisms that form in pipes and other plumbing components. [6] Occasionally, that biofilm may dislodge from your pipes and travel through the water to your faucets. Certain types of bacteria in biofilm may activate the sweet taste receptors in your sinuses and lead you to perceive your water as sweet. [7]
    • What to Do: If you think biofilm might be the culprit of your sweet-tasting water, flush your plumbing system by running your taps for at least 30 minutes. If this doesn’t work, contact a plumber to take a look at your pipes and implement more serious solutions like shock chlorination.
  4. If your pipes are old and beginning to corrode, they may be leaching contaminants into your water and impacting the flavor. Pipe corrosion can happen for a number of reasons, including acidic water that has a low pH level. [8] If your pipes are corroded, you may also notice issues like water pressure problems, unpleasant smells, and discolored tap water.
    • What to Do: In this situation, it’s best to call in the pros —reach out to your plumber to schedule a house call.
  5. Certain foods can temporarily impact how you perceive the taste of water, especially if they’re acidic or contain ingredients like sugar, citric acid, ascorbic acid, salt, or artificial sweeteners. These ingredients can desensitize your taste buds for up to an hour after consuming food or drink, causing plain water to taste unpleasantly sweet. [9]
    • Even more neutral items like tea, coffee, vegetables, and bread may cause this reaction on your palate.
    • Minty dental products like mouthwash and gum can also make water taste sweet if drunk immediately afterwards.
    • What to Do: If you recently ate or drank something that may be causing this issue, wait a few hours and try the water again—if it no longer tastes sweet, then consider this problem solved!
  6. If something is impacting your sense of smell, it may be erroneously influencing how things taste in your mouth. If you’re sick or in a room with a strong smell, for example, the sweet taste in your water may just be a confusion between your senses. However, there are a few situations in which malodorous water could be a sign of bigger issues:
    • Rotten egg smell : A sewage-like smell common in well water, indicates an excess amount of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur bacteria. [10]
    • Swimming pool smell : Due to chlorine in your water supply, often used by the city or municipality for disinfection purposes.
    • Metallic smell : Water that smells like pennies may be a sign of plumbing corrosion or high iron levels. [11]
    • Fish smell : A fishy odor may be due to bacterial growth or issues in your water system. [12]
    • Musty smell : Musty water can be caused by a variety of factors, including temperature change and biological growth.
    • What to Do: If your water smells bad and there are no other factors that could be affecting your sense of smell, cease use of your tap water and contact your local utility company. They may want to come and test your water for any bacterial growth or other issue.
  7. Certain medical conditions can cause you to have a sweet taste in your mouth that has nothing to do with the actual water. Diabetes and acid reflux, for instance, can both create a sweet taste in your mouth—since water has a neutral flavor, you think the taste is coming from the water when it’s really already present on your tastebuds. [13]
    • Other medical conditions such as hyperglycemia or even a simple cold, flu, or sinus infection can influence how you perceive the taste of water.
    • Similarly, certain medications like infection-treatment antibiotics, allergy pills, and blood pressure medication can alter your sense of taste. [14]
    • What to Do: If you suspect that a medical condition or medication is causing the sweet taste in your water, consult with your doctor as soon as possible . Your physician will perform some exams and tests to determine the cause of the unusual taste and develop a treatment plan.
  8. Hormone imbalances can cause a range of physical reactions, from fatigue and weight gain to sweet-tasting water. When our hormones are out of balance, different tastes can be distorted. This cause of sweet-tasting water is most common in people with high estrogen levels and people who are pregnant. [15]
    • What to Do: If you suspect that you have a hormone issue affecting your sense of taste, speak with your doctor . They’ll likely check for underlying conditions that might cause hormone fluctuations and develop a treatment plan for you. [16]
  9. Very rarely, certain contaminants may enter your water supply and cause a sweet taste. In this case, the most likely contaminant is ethanol, which is described as a sweet taste by some people. If ethanol is in your household water, that means that an ethanol spill or other contamination issue must have occurred in your area.
    • What to Do: Contact your local water utility department and have a professional water test performed as soon as possible—if your water is contaminated with ethanol, you may get guidance from the city and have to switch to bottled water temporarily.
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Section 2 of 4:

Is it okay for water to taste sweet?

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  1. Drinking water that tastes sweet will very rarely be harmful to you, and the problems around it have more to do with taste preference than actual health issues. However, your sweet-tasting water could mean that your pipes are corroded or that your water is contaminated, which may lead to issues with your water quality and plumbing system.
    • So, while you may not mind a sweet taste in your water, it is important to pay attention to any color, taste, or odor changes in your drinking water.
Section 3 of 4:

What to Do When Your Water Tastes Sweet

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  1. Run water through your pipes and taps for at least 30 minutes to clear some things out of your plumbing system. This step won’t necessarily solve the problem permanently, but it can reduce the taste of sweetness in your water while you work on a more long-term solution. To do a more thorough cleaning of your plumbing system, follow these steps: [17]
    • Shut off the water supply to your home.
    • Open every faucet inside and outside your house and let the water drain out.
    • Shut off your water heater (if you have one) and attach a hose to the bottom drain valve. Open the valve and wait for all the water to empty.
    • Go to your highest faucet, like one in an upstairs room. Turn it on and let the water run until it feels cold, which is a sign that there’s no remaining hot waiter. Repeat for all faucets, moving from highest to lowest.
    • Remove and clean the aerator screens on all of your faucets.
    • Replace the filters in your water filtration system (if you have one).
    • Turn the main valve back on and let water move back through your plumbing system.
  2. Certain issues, like chlorine content, can be resolved by letting your water sit for 24 hours. Leave your water in a covered container or pitcher so that nothing else gets into it or affects its taste. [18]
    • Although this temporary solution won’t actually change what’s happening in your water source, it can help you identify what the issue is (or at least rule out more serious issues).
    • If you’re someone who’s really sensitive to the taste of water, then you can just make a habit of setting water in the fridge ahead of time for you to drink later on when it’s lost its sweet taste.
  3. As a temporary solution, experiment with your sweet water to see if temperature changes affect its taste. Is the sweetness stronger when the water is hot, lukewarm, or iced? Does the flavor go away when you’ve boiled the water? While you might still want to contact a professional to get your water tested, this solution may allow you to have drinkable water (without the sweet taste) in the meantime.
  4. Sweet-tasting water doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s an issue with your water, but it’s worth checking out if the taste doesn’t go away on its own or with temporary solutions. Purchase a water testing kit online or contact a local water lab or professional to test your water . [19]
    • The EPA requires that your local water utility service (if your water comes from a municipality) publishes water test results periodically. Contact your local water or health department to ask for the test results.
    • However, keep in mind that these tests only test the water at the treatment plant. The quality of or contaminants in the water may change as it moves through the pipes through your water, so it may still be worth testing the water straight from your tap.
  5. If your water tests positive for bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals, or other contaminants, consider installing a home water treatment solution. This system will eliminate most toxins from your water and enhance its taste and overall quality. [20] There’s a few different types of in-home water filter systems, but discuss with a plumber which would be best for your needs. Here are two of the most common home filtration systems:
    • Reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system : These systems use reverse osmosis to manage a variety of potential contaminants and water issues.
    • Whole home water filtration : These systems target individual water problems such as sulfur, iron, low pH, chlorine, arsenic, and nitrate.
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Section 4 of 4:

Why does water taste sweet when you’re sick or thirsty?

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  1. When you’re sick, for instance, cold or flu infections that affect your sinuses may cause your saliva to have more glucose in it, thereby sweetening the taste of your water. [21]
    • When you’re thirsty, on the other hand, scientists have found that your brain is accepting water as a gift. As a thank you, your brain basically gives you a boost of dopamine, which makes you happy and gives you pleasure. You then associate that pleasure with a sweet taste in the water. [22]

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      References

      1. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-i-have-a-sweet-taste-in-my-mouth
      2. ↑ https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/understanding-and-dealing-hard-water
      3. ↑ https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/factsheet/chlorination.html
      4. ↑ https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Recreation-and-Leisure/Aquarium-Fish/Aquarium-Water-Quality-Sources-of-Water
      5. ↑ https://www.waterlogicaustralia.com.au/resources/whats-in-my-tap-water/how-to-remove-chlorine-from-water/
      6. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732559/
      7. ↑ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.aam7703
      8. ↑ https://haguewaterofmd.com/blog/water-ph-and-your-plumbing/
      9. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-i-have-a-sweet-taste-in-my-mouth
      1. ↑ https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/hydrosulfide.html
      2. ↑ https://epa-water.com/does-your-tap-water-taste-metallic-find-out-why-and-how-to-fix-the-problem/
      3. ↑ https://www.portland.gov/water/report-water-quality-issues/taste-or-odor-issues
      4. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146442/
      5. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/ask_the_doctor_is_my_blood_pressure_medicine_changing_my_ability_to_taste
      6. ↑ https://repository.unair.ac.id/94718/1/6.%20Sweet%20Taste%20Sensitivity%20and%20Its%20association%20with%20Serum%20Zinc%20Levels%20%20in%20Women%20with%20Premenstrual%20Syndrome.pdf
      7. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22673-hormonal-imbalance
      8. ↑ https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/PFAS-Response/Drinking-Water/Flushing-Instructions.pdf?rev=dbe0e69eefae47beba8946d8dc75b3a3
      9. ↑ https://www.cityofnapa.org/FAQ.aspx?QID=412
      10. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/drinking-water-faq.html
      11. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/water-filters/step3.html
      12. ↑ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320292
      13. ↑ https://www.foodrepublic.com/1324457/satisfying-reason-water-tastes-better-when-youre-thirsty/

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