How To Remove Nitrate from Water: A Guide to Bring Back the Quality of Your Water
You might imagine that the water in your area is pure, but you don't know if it is. If you have a home with untreated tap water and nitrates showing up on your hydration tests, this article will tell you what to do about the problem.
Filters are one of many methods for removing nitrate from drinking water. Find out which filters remove most water pollution caused by nitrogen compounds like Nitrates without adding chemicals or salts!
Nitrate removal is essential for your health. Nitrates, which are found in drinking water and vegetables, cause some serious diseases like cancer. Children below six months old are at an increased risk of gastroenteritis (GI inflammation); babies with gout; cardiovascular disease; kidney stones; atherosclerosis; pregnancy complications such as stillbirths; and mortality with nitrate exposure.
This article will review the types of filters and prices available to remove nitrate from drinking water. Read on now!
You may be wondering how to remove nitrate from your drinking water, the answer is simple: use a filter.
It becomes more complicated, however, if you want to know which type of filter would be best for this task. Filters for drinking water should consider several factors, including filtration effectiveness, ease of use, and removal of nitrates and phthalates.
The study took into account all these considerations to provide the most relevant answer possible.
Agriculture and the discharge of untreated sewage effluent can also produce nitrates and nitrites.
Chemical compounds containing nitrate can form highly toxic nitrosamines when combined with nitrogen oxide or ammonia, which is why children should not drink tap water containing nitrates.
"Water softeners" use sodium ions to remove hydrogen ions from water to remove nitrates.
11 Simple Steps To remove nitrate from water:

1. Install a water softener
The first step is to install a water softener in your home. Water softeners do not remove nitrates or other pollutants, but they can be used to remove hard minerals such as iron, lead, and manganese that make you sick if you drink tap water.
Nitrate filters can remove nitrates from drinking water, so they are an obvious choice to go with. A third type of filter is activated carbon, which uses particulate matter to absorb contaminants. Activated carbon is better than traditional filtering systems for removing organic and inorganic contaminants.
2. Check your water
The next thing to do is check your water. Nitrate can be measured using a nitrate measuring device or another device that gets rid of dissolved solids.
Some nitrates will go away if you follow these steps, so long as you consider a few more factors: depth, composition, where you live, and your lifestyle.

3. Check your chlorine
In addition to testing your water for chlorine, it's also important to keep the level of chlorine low to prevent algae growth. Nitrates or high levels of iron and manganese will be added back into your body by sources such as swimmers without a means to eliminate them or simply by swimming in areas with high minerals concentrations.
Contact a specialist if you are experiencing nitrate problems, as they will be able to give you suggestions on how to improve levels while keeping ahead of algae growth and iron deposits.

4. Reduce your water usage
Filtration reduces nitrate from water to a great extent, but there are other ways to decrease it further.
Reducing your consumption is a great idea when you find areas with excessive amounts of iron and manganese present. As usage is reduced, drainage improves, so filters do not have to work as hard to remove contaminants.
5. Add water to a fish tank
This is an interesting way of removing nitrate from the water because you are essentially replacing it.
Adding nitrates, which comes in various forms depending on what you can find or if you have enough in your garden, and taking off the chemicals found in your water, especially iron and manganese. By placing these pounds in circulation with fish, they remove the nutrients, lowering levels in the water.
6. Increase your water use
Nitrate levels can be naturally raised by increasing your water use without adding too much water flow.
Plant hydroponics can be used here or other methods like reverse osmosis systems that only remove the metabolites and not those present in the soil below where the metabolites interact with nitrate, feeding the plant.

7. Run your dishwasher
Using heat to increase greenhouse efficiency is a step towards lowering nitrate levels.
Heating water allows the system to boil at lower temperatures by switching between liquid and gas states. Because low temperatures reduce any dissolved salts in systems, they help reevaluate what conditions are ideal for algae blooms. The low temperatures that occur outside of your system will also likely help remove nitrates.

8. Add water to your laundry
By adding water to your washer, you will be able to wash more clothes immediately. The water around 1100 °F (593 °C) dissolves microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae that can contaminate your laundry. These microbes also produce unpleasant odors, damaging clothes by embedding themselves in fibers, giving them a waxy appearance.

9. Water your plants
It is interesting to note that plants do not directly remove nitrates from their roots. A plant does this through the secretion of an enzyme called 4-hydroxyproline, which traps excess nitrate in its root cells where, if in high concentrations in water, it becomes toxic to the plant's growth or dies altogether. Because the plants eliminate nitrates, they are ideal for increasing the number of beneficial organisms in your ecosystem.

10. Replace the charcoal
The main reason why charcoal is used as a filtration technique at this point. Because it can absorb the nitrate in your water and bind it with the particles in your bottom tray where any excess calcium can be eliminated down their drain line for later use by your plants, macerated wood is not all made up of clay. Burnable particles of aluminum and aluminum ore are pure enough without adding phytotoxins to the filter. Due to the charcoal method's high percentage of soil formation, it is important not to let contaminants or insects overcome your beneficial organisms.
11. Rinse your grow bucket
Last, rinse the interior of the buckets that have been used for growing or filtering. Our watering system will have fresh filtered water coming in with excesses removed from higher up. Most variations involve putting a small cloth over them and letting the contents soak into them. To do this, just put a thin layer of cloth over your garden watering can before filling it up with filtered water and then shake off the excess that could not move through the filtration or growing process.
How to Remove Nitrates From Your Home's Tap Water Safely & Effectively
The chemical nitrate occurs naturally in the soil, water, and air. Nitrates are also found in fertilizers and pesticides. Nitrates can enter your tap water through industrial runoff, septic tank leaks, or animal waste.
The tap water removal methods are as follows:

Distillation
The most effective but also the most expensive way to remove nitrates from your tap water is distillation. This process requires boiling the water so that the nitrate evaporates. It then cools down and is collected as pure liquid with no contaminants remaining
Ion Exchange
This is an affordable option that removes nitrates by exchanging them for sodium ions. You mix some ion exchange resin with your distilled or boiled water, wait for it to work its magic, then pour off the treated water.
Reverse Osmosis
RO uses pressure to force water molecules across membranes. These membranes allow certain substances to pass while blocking others. After reverse osmosis, multiple steps of purification are required to make sure that no harmful chemicals remain. First, prefilters trap large debris like rust and dirt. Then, filters block smaller bacteria and viruses. Finally, carbon blocks out chlorine and other disinfectants.

Filtration
Sand, gravel or activated carbon are placed inside pipes to catch suspended solids and heavy metals. However, these materials may clog if they get wet. For homes near bodies of water, consider installing a prefilter device called a "precoat." Precoat's contain granular material like what comes out of a standard sedimentation basin. They're designed specifically to prevent grit from entering your plumbing system.
Carbon Filter
Carbon filter cartridges are made of porous carbon particles that act as adsorbents. Adsorption occurs when one substance sticks to another. When carbon absorbs pollutants, it becomes dirty itself. Unlike ordinary charcoal briquettes, carbon filter cartridges come in different shapes and sizes. Some fit only under faucets; others attach directly to the spout. And still, others look like little tubes that screw onto the end of a pipe.
Types of Nitrates and How They Get There
Nitrates can be found in wastewater and fertilizers. When nitrogen-based chemicals undergo anaerobic decay, they become nitrates.
A nitrogen-based chemical is at the root of the problem, found primarily in fertilizer and wastewater. Nitrates can enter the water due to agricultural runoff, sewage treatment plants, or anaerobic decay of nitrogen-based chemicals.
Tips for Nitrate Removal
Nitrate is a compound found in drinking water and well water. It has gained prominence because it affects the health of people who drink or come into contact with it. At the levels found in drinking water, nitrates are not dangerous, but high levels can cause illness.
Treatment for nitrate removal consists of three steps: aeration, filtration, and chlorination. By adding air into the water, it is possible to break down nitrates into nitrogen gas and water vapor. Water is filtered to remove contaminants like iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide in the second step. Lastly, disinfection involves adding chlorine or another substance to kill bacteria.
But before you add chlorine to your drink water you should know how much chlorine is in drinking water.
Aerated Treatment Systems
An aerator uses oxygen dissolved in water to oxidize the nitrates into harmless gases. Aerators have been used since ancient times to treat water. Many early civilizations relied on this method to purify their water supply. Today, aerators are still widely used throughout the world.
There are two types of aerators available today: mechanical and biological. Mechanical aerators consist of small propellers attached to a shaft driven by electricity. Biological aerators use microorganisms to convert nitrates into gaseous products.
Filtration Processes
Filtration methods include sand beds, activated carbon, granular media, and reverse osmosis. Gravity moves particles toward the bottom of the container, where they settle out. Larger particles are retained while filtered water passes through the holes in the media. As pollutants attach to activated carbon, they are captured by adsorption. Pressure is used to force water through thin layers of plastic or glass to create reverse osmosis. RO systems produce very clean water but require large amounts of energy to operate.
Chlorine Disinfectants
It is also important to treat your tap water before consumption, in addition to removing harmful substances. Chlorine is one of the best methods for killing off unwanted organisms. It works by combining with organic compounds to form hypochlorite ions. These ions then combine with other organics to create more free radicals, which destroy microbes.
You can add chlorine directly to your water source if you want to avoid purchasing bottled water.
How To Prevent Nitrates In The Future
Nitrates and nitrites in well water can be a serious health hazard. It is important to take preventative measures for high levels of nitrates in well water so that this problem does not affect the population.
The key to preventing high levels of nitrates in well water is to know the source of the problem. Nitrates and nitrites may come from farm fertilizers or animal manure, sewage, or septic systems. If you suspect that these compounds have entered your system, call a professional plumber immediately.
If you live near a lake or river, make sure that there is an adequate flow of fresh water entering the body of water. Use lawn care products without phosphorus on turfgrasses around lakes and rivers if possible. Phosphorus encourages algae growth, which results in excessive nutrients in surface waters.
Nitrates Remedies & Solutions
Nitrates in your drinking water can also be a concern. Nitrates are found in fertilizers, animal wastes, and leaky septic tanks. Nitrates are harmful to humans because they can contaminate drinking water with nitrite.
Nitrate removal is vital for your family's health, and it's safe to drink clean water anytime you want! We hope this post has provided clarity on how you can remove nitrates from your drinking water!
Nitrate Removal Techniques - Chemical or Biological?
Nitrates are found in fertilizers, animal manure, and other sources of chemical contamination. Even though nitrates are necessary for healthy plant growth, high nitrates can be hazardous to human health. Nitrate removal is a process that removes nitrate from drinking water by either using a chemical or biological method.
The main nitrate removal methods are chemical or biological. In biotic methods, bacteria break down nitrates in the water by breaking them down with chemicals. When using chemicals, the benefits are cost-effectiveness and quick results, while bacteria can also remove other harmful contaminants such as pesticides and metals, if necessary.
What are the Health Risks of High Nitrates in Drinking Water?
Nitrates are chemicals found in water and food. The level of nitrates in the human body is closely related to the amount of nitrate in drinking water.
Nitrates are an essential component of living organisms. It is most commonly found in vegetables, milk, and cheese. In most cases, it is safe for humans to eat foods with nitrates as long as they don't have too many health risks from them.
In some cases, higher levels of nitrates can be toxic to humans who drink a lot of it or have a weak immune system. During pregnancy, nitrates can cause complications if the mother consumes a lot of nitrates in her diet or if she has diabetes mellitus.
Nitrates in Drinking Water - Why You Should Worry?
Nitrates are among the most common pollutants in drinking water. Nitrates are mainly found in groundwater because they travel through it to reach drinking water sources.
Our drinking water contains high levels of nitrates, not a pretty picture at all. Babies and pregnant women are more sensitive to nitrates than adults, according to recent studies.
The following section discusses nitrates in the water and the harmful effects they cause.
Health Effects of Nitrates:
Nitrates in drinking water may cause cancer, heart disease, kidney damage, and even death. Due to their immature kidneys, children under 5 are especially susceptible to these illnesses.
Young children cannot detoxify nitrites properly, making them prone to developing methemoglobinemia. The condition causes blood cells to lose oxygen, which leads to cyanosis and death.
Children under the age of 2 can be affected by hypothyroidism from excessive amounts of nitrates can cause hypothyroidism. Too few thyroid hormones are produced when it is hyperthyroid. Symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, constipation, dry skin, hair loss, and a slow heartbeat. Adults over 50 are also affected by low thyroid function caused by exposure to excess nitrates. Adults usually experience symptoms like muscle weakness, depression, memory impairment, and difficulty concentrating.
Due to fetal development, pregnant women are also highly susceptible to nitrate poisoning. Consuming contaminated tap water during pregnancy can pass toxins to the unborn child. Toxins might affect the baby's brain development and increase the risk of congenital disabilities.
Exposure to nitrates can also result in miscarriage and premature births. Fetuses whose mothers consumed more than 10 milligrams per liter of nitrates were likely to miscarry. Women who drank more than 100 mg/L had a greater chance of having preterm deliveries.
The Environmental Protection Agency lists nitrates among the top ten contaminants in U. S. public drinking water systems. Over 40 percent of U.S. residents live within 3 miles of an area with high nitrate levels in its drinking water.
Nitrite Removal Processes - How to Reduce Nitrate Formation in Pools?
Nitrite formation is a process of reactions that may be oxidizing or reducing. Nitrite is formed when oxygen or other oxidizing agents oxidize nitrate in pool water.
It is important to know the different kinds of nitrite removal processes and what they can do for your pool. There are four ways to reduce nitrite formation in pools:
1. Nitrate process - A sand filter or cartridge filter system with a sand bed pre-dosed with ammonium sulfate can be used to remove nitrates in pool water. The sand bed absorbs the ammonium from the water, converting it into harmless compounds such as ammonia and ammonium salts. This method takes time, but it works well when used properly.
2. Chemical Treatment - The addition of chlorine dioxide to the pool water removes nitrates. Chlorine dioxide reacts with nitrogen compounds like nitrite to produce harmless products. However, ClO2 must be carefully monitored so that it doesn't become dangerous to people's health.
3. Biological Remediation - Bacteria naturally present in swimming pool water help convert nitrites into less harmful substances. They use organic matter as their source of energy. When these bacteria die off after a while, new ones take over and continue doing the job until the cycle repeats itself.
4. Physical Methods - One physical method of nitrite reduction is filtration. Filtration removes particles suspended in the water, including microorganisms and debris. It does not affect the quality of the water since it only filters out solid materials.
What is the Best Nitrate Removing Products on the Market?
When it comes to reducing the chloramines and nitrates in your water, you have many products to choose from.
We will review the best nitrate remover products on the market. These products can help you reduce chloramines and nitrates to levels well below what is required by most state regulations.
Nitrates in Drinking Water: What are the Causes and Symptoms of Nitrates?
Nitrogen is a nitrate when it is in the form of salt. It can be in drinking water and some foods. When people drink nitrate-containing water, they will have nitrate levels in their blood.
Nitrates are naturally found in soil, and crops grown with nitrates will have high nitrate levels. Nitrates can also accumulate in wells or rivers where there is a lot of runoff from these fields. Nitrates affect people's health by giving them headaches, stomach pain, and dizziness.
Removing Nitrates from Drinking Water at Home With Nitrogen Gas or Sodium Bisulfate - Which Method is Best?
Nitrates are a common pollutant in drinking water. When animal waste or fertilizers leak into a water supply, nitrate levels can be elevated. Drinking nitrate-contaminated water can be hazardous to health.
In soil rich in iron, nitrates form stable nitrate-iron compounds that might persist for years.
To remove nitrates from drinking water, use nitrogen gas or sodium bisulfate.
How to Remove Nitrate From Well Water with Ion Exchange Systems
Nitrate is a naturally occurring chemical compound with the formula NO3-. Nitrates are found in many fertilizers and chemical compounds, as well as in food. In high concentrations, nitrates can harm humans and other living organisms by interfering with oxygen use.
Nitrate removal from well water is done using an ion-exchange system that exchanges cations from one form to another.
The Importance of Testing for Nitrates in your Drinking Water
Nitrates pose a serious health risk to infants and pregnant women. You may not be able to tell if your drinking water contains nitrates or not, so it is important to test for them.
This section is about the importance of testing for nitrates in your drinking water. There are many possible contaminants found in drinking water that can be harmful to human health.
Still, nitrates are especially concerning because they pose a serious health risk to infants and pregnant women. Inadequate testing for nitrates can lead to congenital disabilities, mental retardation, and anemia if left unchecked. We will explain the dangers of contaminated drinking water and how to check your tap water for nitrate content.
How to test well water for nitrates
A nitrate test is a lab test that measures how much nitrogen is in the water. Nitrates are used as food for bacteria and plants, so the more nitrates there are in the water, the better plant growth. It depends on the type of plant whether it needs more or less nitrates in the water.
Spinach requires around 10 milligrams per liter, while lettuce requires only 5 milligrams. If you plan to grow vegetables in your garden, make sure you well have enough nitrates.
There is a possibility that your local water department can help you reduce the number of nitrates in your well water if you have been told it contains too many nitrates.
Health risks associated with nitrates
Nitrates primarily can inhibit vitamin B3 conversion to niacin, which poses health risks. Nitrates may also cause an increase in the risk of developing osteoporosis and a decrease in the risk of developing canker sores.
How to remove nitrate from water naturally
Often, water contains nitrates. Nitrate is a chemical that can cause problems for animals and humans. Here are some ways to remove nitrate from water naturally:
- Change the source of your water by using a well, rainwater, or bottled water.
- Distill the water to remove the nitrates
- Boil the water for fifteen minutes and pour it through a coffee filter
- Let the water sit for a day and then pour it through a coffee filter one more time.
- Add a UV light and an Ozonator to the water. The ozone oxidizes any remaining nitrates.
- Use activated carbon filters to reduce the number of nitrates in the air.
- Filter the water through sand or gravel.
- Buy a reverse osmosis machine. It removes all impurities from the water except minerals.
- Run the water through a charcoal filter. Charcoal absorbs chemicals out of the water.
- Install a dechlorinator on top of the aquarium. This will eliminate chlorine which causes algae blooms.
- Keep the pH level at 7.0. If you have too many alkaline ions, this could lead to high amounts of nitrates.
- Make sure the temperature stays between 70°F and 80°F. Too cold temperatures can slow metabolism and prevent fish from absorbing nutrients.
- Do not use tap water unless it has been treated first. Tap water often contains heavy metals and other contaminants.
How to remove ammonium nitrate from water
Ammonia removal systems work best on large volumes of water because they have larger tanks than other methods. Ammonia removal systems are designed to treat up to 1 million gallons per hour. This means that these units must be installed at commercial facilities where high volume flows occur regularly.
How do I test my water for nitrate?
To check for nitrate levels, follow these steps:
- Fill a bucket half full of clean water.
- Pour out about 10% of the water.
- Put the remaining 90% of the water back into the bucket. 4) Stir thoroughly.
- Test the sample against the color chart below.
- Record the results.
- Repeat Steps 1 -6 until all samples give similar results.
- Calculate the average reading.
- Compare the result to the maximum contaminant limit.
How to remove potassium nitrate from water
To remove potassium nitrate from water, use a distillation tower. Distillation towers are copper tubing with a condenser at the bottom and an evaporator at the top. To remove potassium nitrate from water, first place the distillation tower into a large bucket of water.
Fill the evaporator with cold tap water and connect it to a hose leading into the bucket. After it runs for a few minutes, add the potassium nitrate to the water. Once you have added enough potassium nitrate to the water, turn off the tap and wait for an hour or two.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about How to Remove Nitrate from Water
1. Nitrates in Drinking Water - What are the Sources of Nitrates?
Drinking water is the most common source of nitrogenous organic compounds, also known as nitrates. Fertilizers and animal manure contain nitrates, which contaminate the groundwater. Nitrate contamination can cause a variety of health problems.
2. How do Nitrates get into our Water Supplies?
Nitrates are found in fertilizers. The nitrates get into the water by leaching through the soil and runoff from farm fields.
Nitrates are a form of nitrogen usually found in fertilizer, animal waste, or septic systems. Despite not existing in groundwater, nitrates can contaminate septic systems, fertilizers, and animal waste.
3. How do nitrates get into the water?
Nitrates can come into the water from both natural and human sources. Nitrates are formed when nitrites and nitrates are broken down in the soil by bacteria. Chemical fertilizers and animal waste can also create these bacteria. Eventually, these chemicals reach our wells when they reach waterways such as rivers and streams.
If you live near farmland, then you might notice that some areas look green even though other parts of the area appear brown. That's because crops use lots of nutrients during the growing season. As those nutrients leave the land, they travel along surface waters until they reach bodies of water like ponds and reservoirs.
4. Are nitrates in water harmful?
Nitrates in water can be harmful and even fatal to infants if not properly filtered. Nitrate is an organic compound that is found in soil and groundwater. However, when nitrates are found in water, they can be harmful to humans and animals. Nitrates are found in drinking water sources like wells, lakes, rivers, and streams.
5. How are people exposed to nitrate?
Nitrate is a chemical compound that can be found in soil, groundwater, and drinking water. Plants emit nitrates during photosynthesis. When ingested through food or liquids, nitrates can be reduced to nitrites.
Nitrites are, in turn, reduced to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide before being excreted from the body. The amount of nitrite present in foods depends on where the meat was raised. In addition, some vegetables contain high amounts of nitrate due to fertilizer use. For example, spinach has been shown to have 10 times higher nitrate than other leafy greens.
6. What happens when I drink too much nitrate?
When consumed in excessive doses, nitrates can lead to methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobin binds iron within red blood cells, decreasing hemoglobin production and causing oxidative damage. As a result, patients who consume large quantities of nitrate over time develop cyanotic heart disease. Cyanotic heart disease occurs when the blood becomes blue instead of pink.
7. What is the fastest way to lower nitrates in a saltwater tank?
An ammonia-removal system like Maxspect Hagen Fluorite lowers nitrates in saltwater tanks quickly. Up to 99% of ammonium ions are removed by fluorite and converted into harmless gaseous products. Ammonia removal systems work best at low temperatures, so most aquariums should have one.
8. Which filter should you use to remove nitrate from your drinking water?
A carbon block filter is one of the most popular ways to remove nitrate from water. A carbon block filter will help reduce the amount of chlorine present in tap water. Chlorine has been linked to health issues, including cancer. The carbon blocks absorb any contaminants that pass through them. They are inexpensive and easy to install.
9. What does a nitrite level mean?
When testing for nitrate levels, look for numbers between 0.5 mg/L and 5 mg/L. If there are higher readings, this could say contamination with E Coli bacteria. It may also show signs of algae growth.
10. How Can I Lower the Nitrate Level in My Current Water Supply?
If you live near a lake or river, you might want to consider installing a reverse osmosis system. By removing salt, minerals, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, viruses, cysts, and more, reverse osmosis filters purify water. Filtration systems of this kind are highly effective at reducing nitrate levels. However, if you choose to go this route, make sure you get a good quality unit.
11. If your tap water contains nitrates, who to contact
Call your local utility company if nitrate levels in your drinking water are elevated. During normal business hours, you can usually reach someone who speaks English. Ask relevant questions instead of wasting time with irrelevant ones; be prepared when speaking with the person on the line.
12. Why does my tap water contain nitrate?
Nitrate is found naturally in groundwater. The amount varies depending upon location. Some areas receive less nitrate than others. When rain falls onto soil containing nitrogen-rich fertilizer, some of the nitrogen gets washed away. Through its journey through the soil, water picks up additional amounts of nitrate along its path.
13. How should you respond if you discover that your water contains nitrates?
Call your local health agency right away. They will tell you how much nitrate is present and whether they recommend that you boil your water before consumption.
14. Is There Anything Else That Could Contribute to High Levels Of Nitrates In Tap Water?
Yes! Many people add chlorine to their water supply to kill harmful organisms like Giardia lamblia. Chlorine reacts with ammonia to form chloramines.
Statistics Related Nitrate from Water
Factual sentences referenced across top priority results:
In 46 percent of community wells and 53 percent of private wells, there are nitrates and nitrites.
For example, if your water has 30ppm of nitrate contamination, 60 percent reduction would only reduce it to 12ppm – still higher than the guidelines.
Reductions of 80 percent or more are within the guidelines, which is 6ppm. The only issue is that there are very few ROs.
At an 80% reduction rate, contaminated water would only be reduced to 12ppm, too high, and can cause health complications.
In 2019, all the major US utilities reported nitrate levels below the legal limit of 10ppm.
Carbon Block filters such as TAPP will reduce about 70-80% of Nitrates in tap water ( see test results ).\
It is possible to reduce nitrate selectively in a pH range of 9 to 10.5 and minimize loss of the reductant through decomposition of water between pH 9.1 and 9.3.
According to estimates, 83 to 92 percent of the incoming nitrate is removed.
Up to 90 percent of nitrate-nitrogen can be removed if the level is extremely high (greater than 110 mg/l).
Also inefficient, reverse osmosis can produce only a few gallons of pure water each day and can waste as much as 90% of the water it receives.
Conclusion
Nitrates are a type of chemical present in the soil, water, plants, and animals. Nitrates are generally not harmful to people, but they can form into nitrites under certain conditions. Nitrates in drinking water can cause anemia, cancer, and blue baby syndrome.
The best way to remove or reduce the levels of nitrates in your drinking water supply is by installing a reverse osmosis system. A reverse osmosis system uses a membrane or filter with pores so small that only water molecules can pass through them. The system filters out all minerals, including nitrate ions.