40-80 ppm nitrate...?

[BobandBecca]

We have just tested our tap water for the third time in a row and we keep getting a reading of 40-80 ppm each time. That can't be good...

 

[jlk]

Do you have well or city water? Were these tests done in the last few days?

 

[Ahisma]

Maybe call your water company. I called mine when I started seeing ammonia in my water. They were very excited to talk to me and gave me all kinds of pointers about water. Perhaps they can tell you if they are doing anything different or of there was a lot of biological activity lately.

Are you using strips or the API liquid test? The latter is more accurate.

 

[Wroberson]

I wouldn't drink that. Maybe clean the test tube. Shake up the testing solution for a minute or two.

 

[tamtam]

Are you shaking up the bottles really good before doing the tests? I know that sometimes things can settle or crystallize in the base of the bottles and it will throw off test results. Give them a few solid whacks on a counter or table and shake the snot out of them and try again.

Has it always tested like this or is it the first time you've tested?

 

[BobandBecca]

I have city water. I am using the api master test kit. I tested some polland springs bottled water and my tap water tonight at the same time. Polland springs wins it with 0ppm my city water 40-80ppm

 

[BobandBecca]

Are you shaking up the bottles really good before doing the tests? I know that sometimes things can settle or crystallize in the base of the bottles and it will throw off test results. Give them a few solid whacks on a counter or table and shake the snot out of them and try again.

Has it always tested like this or is it the first time you've tested?

I do this everytime i test. I know it means alot.

 

[BobandBecca]

Do you have well or city water? Were these tests done in the last few days?

Are you suggesting my city water changes? I didnt think of that. It is city water and have tested it several days in a row, three times tonight.

 

[jlk]

Normally, city water shouldn't vary much and the EPA has strict guidelines for public drinking supplies. The max allowable nitrate levels are 10ppm. But, because we just had a major hurricane with heavy rainfall, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a disruption in water quality.

I would contact your local water authority and discuss your nitrate concerns with them and see what they have to say. They can send out someone to take water samples and run precision tests to determine exact numbers (this costs you nothing). If there is still an unresolved issue, you can call the EPAs safe drinking water hotline and ask for further help. I don't have the #
In front of me but google should pull it right up.

 

[BobandBecca]

Normally, city water shouldn't vary much and the EPA has strict guidelines for public drinking supplies. The max allowable nitrate levels are 10ppm. But, because we just had a major hurricane with heavy rainfall, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a disruption in water quality.

I would contact your local water authority and discuss your nitrate concerns with them and see what they have to say. They can send out someone to take water samples and run precision tests to determine exact numbers (this costs you nothing). If there is still an unresolved issue, you can call the EPAs safe drinking water hotline and ask for further help. I don't have the #
In front of me but google should pull it right up.

Thank you this is very helpful.

 

[BobandBecca]

Well everyone i have a feeling that the city i live in is not going to do much. Rest a sure that i will take action tomorrow morning. I did another test just now and yet again 40-80 ppm.

 

[jlk]

Heres the EPAs safe drinking water hotline 800-426-4791. Good luck!

 

[tamtam]

ahh, didn't notice you live in NJ. I would imagine this may be hurricane related. Good luck in figuring it out!

 

[BobandBecca]

For anyone that is following this thread still. My water quality has changed alot lot in the last 4 days. It has now been steady at 5ppm nitrate and my ph has gone down to 7.0 the ph was 7.6 before. I now know that i will just have to keep my eye on my city water quality too.

The city water department and the epa were almost impossible for me to talk to. I refused to sit on hold any longer then 10 minutes. Anyway thanks everyone for the help.

 

[dmolavi]

For anyone that is following this thread still. My water quality has changed alot lot in the last 4 days. It has now been steady at 5ppm nitrate and my ph has gone down to 7.0 the ph was 7.6 before. I now know that i will just have to keep my eye on my city water quality too.

The city water department and the epa were almost impossible for me to talk to. I refused to sit on hold any longer then 10 minutes. Anyway thanks everyone for the help.

I'm right up Rt 55 from you (in Washington Twp), I didn't check our tap after the storm for nitrates, but the baseline reading that I do once a month usually shows 5ppm at a pH of 7.6 (and nothing I add to the water seems to drop it to 7.0...my the pet stores and LFS in the area say it's ok at 7.6 since they use muni water, too).