When tasting or noticing your water, a common observation might be a slightly different taste or concerns about water quality after your nitrate treatment system stops working. In Hennepin County, where residential wells draw from aquifer 112GSSG, nitrate is a constituent monitored due to its importance for household water safety and quality.
Distinguishing Nitrate from Other Common Residential Water Issues
Nitrate is often confused with contaminants causing visible changes or odors, but nitrate itself is colorless and tasteless at low levels. Unlike sediment or iron, nitrate does not cause staining or turbidity. Its concern is primarily related to potential health impacts when concentrations exceed federal thresholds, making it a subtly detected but important issue.
Interpreting Certified Laboratory Nitrate Test Reports
Testing for nitrate through a certified laboratory involves measuring nitrate concentration in milligrams per liter (mg/L or parts per million). The report will provide a numeric value indicating the nitrate level detected in your well water sample. Reading this value against federal guidance is essential: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate at 10.0 mg/L, which serves as a health-based guideline. Remember, a single result above or below this value informs about that specific sample and water at that time.
Scope and Significance of Nitrate Sampling in Hennepin County's Aquifer 112GSSG
Between 2011 and 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey collected 46 nitrate results from 20 wells in Hennepin County’s aquifer 112GSSG. These wells, with depths ranging from 9 to 29 feet, showed nitrate detected in 32 results and below reporting limits in 14. The median nitrate concentration found was 7.635 mg/L, with a range spanning from 0.047 to 51.0 mg/L. It is important to note that 14 results exceeded the federal MCL of 10.0 mg/L, indicating that in some sampled locations, nitrate levels were elevated compared to the health-based standard. However, these results reflect area-wide conditions and not any specific well or residential water supply.
Additional Considerations for Commercial and Industrial Water Users
While households mainly focus on safety and taste concerns, commercial or industrial operators must also consider process-specific parameters and regulatory compliance that might require more frequent or specialized water quality monitoring. These entities may need to look beyond nitrate levels to other constituents and water treatment system performance metrics to meet operational standards.
Understanding Federal Nitrate Standards in Context
The federal MCL of 10.0 mg/L is set to protect sensitive populations, notably infants, from nitrate’s potential health effects. Not every detection above this level in a well sample equates to a violation for the household but signals the need for confirmed testing and potential treatment. Nitrate levels below the MCL are generally not associated with adverse health effects but may still be monitored for quality assurance.
If your household nitrate treatment equipment has failed, considering direct-purchase options like the Fleck Nitrate & Nitrite (Well) Filter may be appropriate. This system ships ready to configure, designed to reduce nitrate and nitrite concentrations effectively from well water when properly maintained and monitored.
In summary, the nitrate data for Hennepin County’s aquifer 112GSSG is based on 46 samples collected from 20 wells between 2011 and 2016, showing a range of nitrate concentrations with some exceeding the federal MCL. These area-wide findings provide a snapshot useful for understanding potential nitrate concerns but highlight the importance of individual water testing. For detailed source data, visit the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater monitoring site associated with aquifer 112GSSG.
Where this information comes from
Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2016-09-08. 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 112GSSG aquifer (Hennepin County): 46 results from 20 wells, median 7.635 mg/L, range 0.047-51.0 mg/L; 14 above a health-based federal MCL (federal MCL 10.0 mg/L)
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