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Nitrates in well water: the 10 mg/L limit and how to remove it

The federal limit for nitrate is 10 mg/L as nitrogen. Nebraska Extension lists three ways to remove it: reverse osmosis, distillation and ion exchange. Carbon filters, standard softeners and boiling do not work, and boiling concentrates it. A nitrate test costs $10–$80 at the public labs we priced.

1,2,3,4

Key figures

ItemFigure
Nitrate limit (as nitrogen) 10 mg/L1
Methods that remove it (Reverse osmosis, distillation, ion exchange) 32
Nitrate test, public labs $10–$803,4

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What removes nitrate

Nebraska Extension names distillation, reverse osmosis and ion exchange. It warns that activated carbon, standard water softeners and boiling do not remove nitrate, and that boiling raises the concentration as water evaporates.

Sources2

What we could not price

We found no agency or extension price list for nitrate treatment, so we do not quote one. For a sense of scale only, Ohio's health department priced reverse osmosis for arsenic in 2012 at $300–$1,500 for a single tap and $5,000–$12,000 for a whole house. Nitrate systems are sized differently; get a quote against your test result.

Sources5

Testing

CDC says every well owner should test for nitrate at least once a year, and Nebraska Extension recommends a baseline nitrate and bacteria test on any new well. EPA adds nitrate and nitrite tests where there is intensive farming nearby. Single nitrate tests run from $10 at Indiana's state lab to $80.25 in Westchester County, New York.

Sources6,2,7,3,4

Common questions

Does boiling remove nitrates?

No. Nebraska Extension says boiling can raise the nitrate concentration.

Who is most at risk from nitrate?

CDC lists a pregnancy or a child moving in as reasons to test beyond the annual schedule.

Related pages

For the cost of a finished well in your state, see the national well cost figures.

Sources

  1. National Primary Drinking Water Regulations , U.S. EPA. Accessed November 9, 2026. Last updated August 31, 2026
  2. Nitrate in Drinking Water , University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Nebraska Extension), Becky Schuerman. Accessed November 9, 2026. September 9, 2020
  3. Well Water Testing , Indiana Department of Health Laboratories. Accessed November 8, 2026. Undated. $10.00 for bacteria; $10.00 for nitrate.
  4. Environmental Services Fee Schedule (approved 2025-09-19) , Westchester County Department of Laboratories & Research (NY). Accessed November 8, 2026. Total coliform and E. coli P/A $32.10; nitrate as N $80.25; Well Water Package A (Private Well Testing Law) $583.10.
  5. Arsenic Treatment and Removal for Private Water System Wells , Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health. Accessed November 9, 2026. June 2012 (cost estimates are 2012-era)
  6. Guidelines for Testing Well Water , CDC. Accessed November 9, 2026. July 1, 2024
  7. Protect Your Home's Water (Private Wells) , U.S. EPA. Accessed November 9, 2026. Last updated February 26, 2026

How these figures are built: methodology. Updated November 2026.