How to Treat Nitrates in Well Water

In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine safe levels of contaminants like nitrates in drinking water. A nitrate is a compound that forms when nitrogen combines with oxygen. It can develop naturally in groundwater; however, nitrates can also enter wells through fertilization, septic systems, or improper well construction. High levels of nitrate contamination can cause a variety of health problems, especially for pregnant women or babies. Although private wells are not under EPA regulation, the agency encourages private well owners to follow their water safety and quality guidelines.

Instructions

• 1

  Call your state water certification officer for a list of state-certified labs that will test your water. The EPA maintains a list of contact information for state certification officers on its website.

• 2

  Contact one of these certified labs to perform quality tests on your drinking water. The EPA recommends that you have your well water tested for nitrates every year. If the nitrate levels exceed EPA requirements, remove them from your water supply.

• 3

  Determine the source of contamination and eliminate it if possible. This can be extremely difficult because there may be more than one source of contamination. In addition, you may live in an area with a landfill or feedlot, which can cause nitrate contamination in well water, that you have no control over. Still, you can control the use of fertilizer near your well or make sure your septic system and sewer lines are functioning properly.

• 4

  Contact a local water treatment professional to install a treatment system such as a distiller, ion exchange system, or reverse osmosis system to remove nitrates from your well water. That professional will determine which system would work best in your situation.

• 5

  Retest nitrate levels after installing a treatment system to ensure it is working correctly.