What causes metallic taste in water?

The most common causes are iron (especially in well water), copper from corroding pipes, zinc from old galvanized plumbing, and sometimes new filter media off-gassing during the first few uses. Lead can also cause a metallic taste at high concentrations, but lead is often undetectable by taste at typical tap levels. Testing is the only way to know for sure.

Can lead make water taste metallic?

At high concentrations, yes. Lead can produce a metallic or bitter taste. But at the levels commonly found in tap water from lead pipes or lead solder, most people can't taste it at all. This is why tasting your water is not a reliable way to screen for lead. If you're in a home built before 1986 and concerned about lead, get a certified lab test. Don't rely on your sense of taste.

Is metallic tasting water safe?

It depends entirely on the cause. Metallic taste from iron is generally not a health concern at typical well water concentrations. Copper at low levels is also low risk, but elevated copper above the EPA action level of 1.3 mg/L can cause nausea and digestive problems. Lead has no safe level for children. If you can't identify the cause, test before assuming the water is safe.

Does a water filter remove metallic taste?

It depends on the cause. Activated carbon filters improve taste from iron, chlorine, and some organic compounds, but they don't reliably remove dissolved metals like lead or copper. For lead and copper, you need a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for those specific contaminants. For iron in well water, an oxidizing iron filter is more appropriate than a carbon filter.

Why does my new water filter taste metallic?

Fresh carbon filter media can release a faint metallic or carbon taste for the first few uses. The filter isn't defective. Manufacturers typically recommend flushing 2 to 3 gallons of water through a new filter before drinking from it. The taste should disappear after the initial flush. If it doesn't go away after a full gallon, contact the manufacturer.

Metallic Taste in Water: What's Causing It and How to Fix It

Don’t dismiss a metallic taste. It’s worth knowing what’s causing it.

Most of the time, metallic taste in water comes from iron or copper, both of which have straightforward fixes. But metallic taste can also be a sign of lead in your plumbing, and lead isn’t something to guess about.

The First Thing to Understand About Lead

Lead does cause a metallic taste at high concentrations. But at the levels found in many older homes with lead pipes or lead solder, most people can’t detect it by taste at all.

This is the key problem. Tasting your water is not a screening method for lead. You cannot taste your way to a lead-free result.

If you’re in a home built before 1986, when lead solder was banned for residential plumbing, or if you’re in a city with known lead service line issues, get a certified lab lead test. Don’t wait to see if you can taste something. Read more about lead in tap water and how to test for lead specifically.

Now, the more common causes.

Iron

Iron is the most frequent source of metallic taste in well water. Dissolved ferrous iron at concentrations above roughly 0.3 mg/L produces a distinct metallic or slightly bitter flavor. It’s often accompanied by orange staining in sinks, tubs, and toilets, and sometimes a rust-colored tinge when water sits in a white bowl.

Iron isn’t a health threat at typical well water concentrations. The EPA’s Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for iron is 0.3 mg/L, and that’s an aesthetic standard, not a health-based one. But the taste is unpleasant and the staining is genuinely difficult to manage without treatment.

A home test strip can confirm iron is present, but a certified lab test will tell you the concentration and the form, which matters for choosing the right treatment. See iron in well water for how the different forms of iron are treated differently.

Copper

Copper piping is common in homes built from the 1960s through the 1990s. Under normal conditions, copper pipe is safe and doesn’t add significant metal to the water. But low pH water, meaning water that’s slightly acidic, is more aggressive on copper and corrodes it faster.

Blue-green staining around faucet aerators and in sink basins is the clearest sign of copper corrosion. That greenish-blue ring is copper carbonate deposited as the corroded water evaporates. If you’re seeing that alongside a metallic taste, copper is likely the source.

At low levels, copper isn’t a health concern. The EPA’s action level for copper is 1.3 mg/L, and most tap water with copper pipes runs well below that. But elevated copper above the action level can cause nausea and digestive upset. If you’re getting the staining and the taste together, get a test. A home water test kit can give you a rough read, but a certified lab gives you a number you can act on.

If pH is the root cause, you can address it with a neutralizing filter that raises pH, which makes the water less aggressive on your pipes. A plumber can also assess whether sections of pipe have significant corrosion.

Zinc

Galvanized steel pipes were standard in homes built before the 1960s. Galvanized pipes are steel coated in zinc, and as that coating corrodes over decades, zinc and iron both leach into the water.

Zinc gives a sharper, slightly metallic taste, sometimes described as slightly acidic or astringent. The fix is ultimately replacing old galvanized pipe with copper or PEX, but a point-of-use filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 can reduce zinc at the tap in the meantime.

Zinc at typical tap concentrations isn’t a health concern. The EPA’s secondary standard for zinc is 5 mg/L, well above what most corroding pipes produce.

New Filter Media

Fresh activated carbon filter cartridges sometimes release a metallic or slightly odd taste during the first few liters of use. This isn’t a contaminant. It’s fines, small carbon particles, or carbon dust off-gassing during initial contact with water.

Manufacturers consistently recommend flushing 2 to 3 gallons through a new filter before drinking. Run the water to waste until it runs clear and the taste is gone. If the taste persists after a full gallon of flushing, check the manufacturer’s instructions or contact their support.

Matching the Fix to the Cause

The right solution depends entirely on what the test shows.

Iron in well water: an oxidizing iron filter matched to the form and concentration of iron present.

Copper from acidic water: test pH first. A neutralizing filter or whole-house acid neutralizer may fix the corrosion at the source. A point-of-use filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for copper reduces it at the tap.

Lead: a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 specifically for lead reduction at the concentration in your water, plus investigation into whether lead service lines or lead solder are the source. See how to test for lead for the testing process.

Zinc from old galvanized pipe: pipe replacement is the long-term answer. Point-of-use filtration manages it in the meantime.

The Recommendation

If you’re in a pre-1986 home and the metallic taste is new or getting stronger, get a certified lab lead test before you do anything else. That result tells you whether you have a health issue or an aesthetic one.

If you’re in a newer home with copper pipes and you’re seeing blue-green staining alongside the taste, test for copper and pH. Low pH water is the most common driver of copper corrosion, and fixing the pH upstream often solves the taste and the staining together.

WaterAnswer.com provides general information only. This page is not a substitute for water quality testing by a certified laboratory or guidance from a licensed water treatment professional.

Sources: EPA Lead in Drinking Water | EPA Copper | EPA Secondary Standards