Nitrate water filtration

[jaredwitman]

I will purchasing a new house the end of this month which has two wells. My primary well used in the house for drinking water, etc. came back with a 13 on my Nitrates test. I believe max contamination level is 10 on nitrates and anything over 5 could cause health problems, especially with younger children. I will be wanting to put in a filtration system and my goal is to lower to a non detectable. I was curious if anyone else has had any good results with any specific filtration systems, RO systems, or the like. My other question is if my secondary well is used for outside water/irregation, does anyone know how a high nitrate levels for animal drinking water, specifically dogs, will affect their health.

My three year old, one year old, and pack of dogs thank you for any input!

[300rum]

How deep are your wells?

If you buy the house you are going to have to disclose it and the next buyer is going to use it against you.  They will want to punch a new well and stick you with the cost of it.   

[SemperFidelis97]

A new well wouldn't solve the problem.  I have had good experiences with kinetico filtration systems.

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[Sandberm]

Who tested the water?

Why is the Nitrates high? Dairies?

Shallow well I assume?

[jaredwitman]

Not positive on exact depth of well. Advocet was the company who ran the tests, out of Bellingham. I am in AG ground and surrounded by berry farmers and a large spud farm up the road. This would be my assumption for the high nitrate results.

I will find out how deep the wells are.


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[300rum]

Go to the Washington State Dept. of Ecology's website here:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/wells/wellhome.html

This should tell you about the well.  Then pull well logs from other wells around you, preferably wells that have been punched in the last few years and see what they have done, how far down they have gone, how deep their liners go, etc. 

Basically you want to see if you can line the area where the water is bad and get to a lower aquifer through a basalt layer or something.  It depends on your geology but a driller in your are will know, talk to a few of them.  Take the well logs with you when you talk to them.

You can call the Dept. of Ecology, scroll down and you will see a phone number for the person in your area, talk to them about it.  I called the person in my region and was very surprised of the great service they provided, including telling me who they would have drill the well.   

[Machias]

When we moved into our house in 2001 the nitrate levels were 11.  Our well is 330 feet down.  There used to be a lot of farming not too far away.  We were told no issues except for very young children.  This past fall, 2016, in preparation to sell we had the water tested again and the nitrate level is 4.  The farming practices nearby have changed a lot of the last 15 years.