Water Stench

Another issue from a novice.

We have a cabin in the White Mountains of AZ, hooked up to city water, a grinder pump on the sewer line, also hooked up to the city.

Unfortunately, we only get to use the place every few weeks. When we get there, the first thing we do is turn on all the water and let it run for about 20 -30 minutes, depending on how long it has been unused because the water smells SOOOO bad. I know some of the horrible smell is coming from the drains, which we will clean out, but the water itself smells like sulfer.

Would a water system of some sort or a water softner help this?

Thanks

I would try treating this like you were winterizing the house in a freezing climate. Drain and blow out the water lines. Use RV antifreeze in the traps. I don't know much about ejector pumps, but the stench is either from crap left in the pump or from traps that have dried out and are allowing sewer gas to enter the house. Is there any way to flush the ejector pump?

If the odor goes away after running the water, the cause is bacteria, or you simply get used to the odor.

You can install a disposable cartridge filter housing and use it to sanitize the lines by putting bleach in it and running water at each faucet, until you smell bleach in a glass of water as it fills a glass and then shut the faucet. Then flush each toilet, run hot at one faucet for 5 seconds and put water in the dish and clothes washers for 5 seconds.

Then let it sit 10 minutes and then run each faucet for 5 seconds and shut it off. Repeat like 4-5 times and the bleach and the odor will be gone. Then flush toilets and spin the washers to get rid of the bleach water, and flush the hot faucet you used.

The only other way is to install some form of disinfecting water treatment equipment, and I don't suggest that unless a water test shows bacteria.

Thanks. All good advise. I can drain the system from the crawl space without too much trouble. It has the set up for winterizing.