Nitrate in Kentucky well water
In Kentucky, 10% of 3,270 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L).
Nitrate reaches wells from fertilizer, septic systems and manure. Above the limit it can cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants under six months, and long-term exposure is associated with some cancers. Shallow and dug wells near farmland or dense septic systems are most at risk.
Check your nitrate number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Kentucky well for nitrate
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says.
Systems that remove nitrate
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For nitrate
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For nitrate
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for nitrate in Kentucky: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (10 mg/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickman | 58 | 100% | 2.9 | 43 mg/L | |
| Carlisle | 45 | 100% | 0.745 | 439 mg/L | |
| Hancock | 42 | 100% | 4.03 | 160 mg/L | |
| Christian | 54 | 93% | 0.869 | 76 mg/L | |
| Calloway | 152 | 100% | 1.08 | 162 mg/L | |
| Carroll | 42 | 98% | 2.1 | 14 mg/L | |
| Meade | 101 | 44% | 0 | 111 mg/L | |
| Graves | 187 | 99% | 1.2 | 139 mg/L | |
| Hopkins | 68 | 94% | 0.2 | 56 mg/L | |
| Letcher | 123 | 100% | 0.565 | 53 mg/L | |
| Breckinridge | 41 | 76% | 0.158 | 39 mg/L | |
| Larue | 33 | 100% | 2.1 | 174 mg/L | |
| Marshall | 168 | 97% | 0.565 | 199 mg/L | |
| Jefferson | 852 | 98% | 0.181 | 75 mg/L | |
| McCracken | 33 | 100% | 0.8 | 46 mg/L |
- Clinton CCD, Hickman County25% of 53
- Battletown-Payneville CCD, Meade County22% of 51
- Louisville Central CCD, Jefferson County17% of 146
- Whitesburg CCD, Letcher County14% of 57
- Carrollton CCD, Carroll County14% of 36
- Madisonville CCD, Hopkins County14% of 36
- Benton CCD, Marshall County13% of 67
- Hazel-Lynn Grove CCD, Calloway County13% of 40
- Mayfield CCD, Graves County11% of 37
- Hickory-Lowes CCD, Graves County10% of 31
- Edmonton CCD, Metcalfe County9% of 33
- New Concord CCD, Calloway County8% of 36
- North Dixie CCD, Jefferson County6% of 290
- Jenkins CCD, Letcher County5% of 37
- Shiloh CCD, Calloway County5% of 37
- Utica-Stanley CCD, Daviess County5% of 39
- Hillsboro CCD, Fleming County4% of 45
- Wingo-Water Valley CCD, Graves County3% of 30
- Salyersville CCD, Magoffin County3% of 32
- Calvert City CCD, Marshall County3% of 66
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. nitrate counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.
Analysis: Nitrate in private wells, decade by decade, from the same public records.