Looking to purchase a home and had a comprehensive well water/radon test done. Everything is fine except for the Nitrate-N. It came in at 16 mg/l and the EPA maximum acceptable is 10 mg/l. I have googled this and seen that some people have much higher levels. The most popular nitrate removal systems seem to be reverse osmosis or ion exchange. Although septic systems can be a cause of nitrate levels, there is no detectable bacteria.
Does anyone here have experience with either of these systems? Should I consider this a deal breaker on the house? Any advice is much appreciated.
Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
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Last edited by jainn on Tue Jan 14, 2020 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
Elevated nitrate levels in groundwater are often caused by run-off from barnyards or feedlots, excessive use of fertilizers, or septic systems. Wells most vulnerable to nitrate contamination include shallow wells, dug wells with casing which is not watertight, and wells with damaged, leaking casing or fittings.
Nitrate in Well Water - EH: Minnesota Department of Health
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/wa ... trate.html
What would it cost to have the well re-done? I'd consult a well guy to take a look with video at the inside of the well. I suspect that some work needs to be done. Something to negotiate in the price of the house.
Nitrate in Well Water - EH: Minnesota Department of Health
www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/wa ... trate.html
What would it cost to have the well re-done? I'd consult a well guy to take a look with video at the inside of the well. I suspect that some work needs to be done. Something to negotiate in the price of the house.
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
I doubt that that level would do you harm. Ask your doctor if you have some health issue. Nitrate is an essential nutrient and is found in lots of vegetables. Bottled water might end up cheaper than whole house water treatment or drilling a new well if it puts your mind at ease..
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
<=20 mg/l is typically a non-event, unless your diet is very heavy in cured meat or you use Viagra.bberris wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:29 am I doubt that that level would do you harm. Ask your doctor if you have some health issue. Nitrate is an essential nutrient and is found in lots of vegetables. Bottled water might end up cheaper than whole house water treatment or drilling a new well if it puts your mind at ease..
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
Those nitrate levels are not too horrible for adults and children. Nitrates are primarily an issue for infants and those with health problems that make them prone to having issues with nitrates. The issue with nitrates is they can be metabolized to nitrites after ingestion. Nitrites can bond to hemoglobin and affect the ability of hemoglobin to transport and release oxygen. In healthy adults, there is a metabolic pathway to handle the damaged hemoglobin before it becomes a problem, but this pathway is poorly developed in infants and in some adults. The build-up of damaged hemoglobin is called "blue baby syndrome" in humans or "brown blood syndrome" in fish. The scientific/medical term for the syndrome is methemoglobinemia. The EPA level for nitrates is set to avoid the issue with infants, as levels below 10 mg/l don't usually lead to a build-up in healthy infants.
I've lived in municipalities that have had nitrate levels higher than 10 mg/l (usually no more than 20 mg/l) because of agricultural runoff (fertilizers) contaminating the water supply. These were primarily municipalities on well water with heavy agricultural practices around them. As others have noted, there are resins that can remove nitrates, although I've only used those for aquariums when I lived in said municipality. I'm not familiar with their use otherwise.
You should have the well inspected to make sure there is no damage to the well. But it's also possible that the aquifer is contaminated due to agricultural practices in the area. In that case, any well in the same aquifer would likely have the same issue. Was it a local company that did the testing? Have they tested other wells in the area and noted the same issue? Is there a deeper aquifer without the issue?
I've lived in municipalities that have had nitrate levels higher than 10 mg/l (usually no more than 20 mg/l) because of agricultural runoff (fertilizers) contaminating the water supply. These were primarily municipalities on well water with heavy agricultural practices around them. As others have noted, there are resins that can remove nitrates, although I've only used those for aquariums when I lived in said municipality. I'm not familiar with their use otherwise.
You should have the well inspected to make sure there is no damage to the well. But it's also possible that the aquifer is contaminated due to agricultural practices in the area. In that case, any well in the same aquifer would likely have the same issue. Was it a local company that did the testing? Have they tested other wells in the area and noted the same issue? Is there a deeper aquifer without the issue?
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
Thanks for the input everyone.
Mudpuppy said “Was it a local company that did the testing? Have they tested other wells in the area and noted the same issue? Is there a deeper aquifer without the issue?”
The home inspection guy sent the sample to a lab. I talked to a water treatment company today. They suggest a second test to rule out error. I sent them all the test results and the will they will offer up some solutions tomorrow. I will pose the question about a deeper aquifer to the seller and the water treatment company (they also do wells).
Mudpuppy said “Was it a local company that did the testing? Have they tested other wells in the area and noted the same issue? Is there a deeper aquifer without the issue?”
The home inspection guy sent the sample to a lab. I talked to a water treatment company today. They suggest a second test to rule out error. I sent them all the test results and the will they will offer up some solutions tomorrow. I will pose the question about a deeper aquifer to the seller and the water treatment company (they also do wells).
Re: Nitrate-N level in well 16 mg/l vs EPA limit 10 mg/l
The reason I asked those questions is if the contamination is from the aquifer and there is not a suitable deeper aquifer, then dealing with the nitrate contamination will be a feature of all houses on wells in that area. If that is the case, then you either deal with the nitrates (treatment, bottled water, etc) or look for houses in a different area that isn't affected. But this decision will require very local knowledge and an evaluation of your personal preferences for a house.