What Has Government Sampling Found About Nitrate in Broward County's Aquifer?
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted groundwater sampling in the aquifer 112BSCNN, which serves parts of Broward County, Florida. This area-wide sampling included 132 measurements from 43 different wells sampled over a ten-year span from 2010 through 2020. These wells ranged mostly from 10 to 152 feet in depth.
Out of these samples, nitrate was detected in 48 results, while 84 were reported below the detection limit. The median nitrate concentration found was 0.4505 milligrams per liter (mg/L), with a range extending from as low as 0.019 mg/L to as high as 16.5 mg/L. Notably, two samples recorded nitrate concentrations exceeding the federal maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10.0 mg/L. The MCL is a health-based threshold established to protect public health.
Interpreting These Measurements for Your Household
These findings reflect what was measured in specific wells within Broward County’s aquifer system and cannot confirm the nitrate level present in any single household’s water source. Nitrate concentrations can vary widely from well to well based on depth, local geology, agricultural or industrial influences, and other factors.
Testing your own well or water supply by a certified laboratory is necessary to establish your home's nitrate concentration specifically. This testing can guide decisions about whether water treatment is appropriate and what treatment technologies are suitable.
Why Nitrate Levels Matter for Residential Water Use
Nitrate naturally occurs in the environment but can increase with human activity such as fertilizer runoff. High nitrate levels in drinking water can pose particular risks to infants and certain vulnerable populations. While most of the measurements in the area are below the health-based limit, the presence of nitrate detected in many samples means it is an element worth monitoring for households relying on local groundwater.
How to Address Potential Nitrate in Your Home’s Water
When testing confirms elevated nitrate in household water, appropriate treatment technology can reduce nitrate to safer levels. Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process effective at removing nitrates by filtering out dissolved solids through a semipermeable membrane. The WSP 000 GPD Reverse Osmosis System - Commercial ships ready to configure for residential use and can be adapted for household-scale nitrate reduction.
This system works by pushing water through a membrane that separates nitrates and other dissolved contaminants from the purified water. It does not add chemicals or salts, helping to improve water quality without altering taste or other characteristics significantly.
Making Informed Choices About Water Quality
Understanding nitrate levels in your area is a first step toward managing your household water quality. Government sampling provides useful context about what has been found in local aquifers but does not replace testing your specific water source. With test results, homeowners can evaluate options such as reverse osmosis treatment to address nitrate or other water constituents of concern.
Regular testing and monitoring, combined with appropriate treatment solutions, enable households to maintain safe and high-quality water tailored to their unique water conditions in Broward County’s aquifer 112BSCNN region.
Where this information comes from
Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2020-11-19. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.
On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Nitrate in the 112BSCNN aquifer (Broward County): 132 results from 43 wells, median 0.4505 mg/L, range 0.019-16.5 mg/L; 2 above a health-based federal MCL (federal MCL 10.0 mg/L)