Other causes of ectropion are scarring, burns, trauma (called cicatricial ectropion), spasm of the orbicularis muscle, which may affect either the upper or lower eyelid, or paralysis of the orbicularis muscle in which only the lower eyelid is affected.
It is possible that there is nothing wrong with your water heater. There is a pressure relief valve on top that may be releasing water because your primary water pressure reduction valve for the house is worn out. The fact that the leak is intermittent suggests this.
An IBHS study found that 69 percent of all water heater failures result from a leak or a full-on burst. A water heater stores many gallons of hot water and rusts over time. The pressure inside the tank, combined with a weakened structure due to rust, could cause a leak, and the tank could actually burst.