Nitrates

The reverse osmosis systems we supply are certified for nitrate removal. Distillers also work very well, and if the water is to be used for an infant, pregnant mother or other individual at serious risk for nitrate poisoning, then we usually recommend distillers since all the distilled water can be certain to be free of nitrate. Nitrate has no taste or odour.

Nitrate, often found as calcium-nitrate in wells, is usually a result of nitrate fertilizers used in agriculture, from livestock manure run-off, or from septic tanks leaching into ground water. Nitrate is highly soluble in water and therefore can soak into ground waters quickly.

In the nitrate removal systems we manage, we have often seen nitrate levels fluctuate seasonally, seemingly based on rainfall. Shallow wells are more quickly and adversely affected than deep well-constructed wells. If your area or well is prone to nitrate contamination, regular water analysis is recommended.

Although high nitrate levels have been implicated in central nervous disorders and hypertension in adults, nitrate has been highly regulated primarily to prevent methemoglobinemia, a sometimes fatal blood condition in infants also known as "blue baby syndrome". This condition reduces the blood's oxygen carrying ability in infants and fetuses. High levels of nitrate have also been linked to miscarriages in humans and livestock, including horses.

Nitrate is either expressed in reports as Nitrate-N (nitrate as nitrogen) or Nitrate as Nitrate. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate is 10 ppm (also known as milligrams per liter). To express nitrate as nitrate, multiply by 4.4 The MCL for nitrate as nitrate is 44 ppm for instance.

Nitrate removal systems include: ion-exchange, reverse-osmosis, distillation, biodenitrification, and eletrodialysis. Most nitrate removal systems are on very small systems such as small neighborhoods, farm labour housing, and commercial establishments such as schools and restaurants etc.

The most commonly used treatment approach is by ion-exchange, the same technology water softeners employ. With this type of system, chlorides are exchanged for the nitrate, and the high nitrate waste is flushed into a holding tank or drain field . Depending on the application, it is often more desireable to drill a deeper well or tie-in to an alternate water source, rather than treating the water for nitrate, due to the high levels of brine discharge from these systems. For whole house treatment, or for small communities with nitrate in ground water, we offer custom systems for specific applications. Pretreatment and total system design is important.

If you suspect your water may suffer from this problem you should purchase a water test pack. You can also fill out our online query form and we'll get back to you very shortly.