Nitrate in New Mexico well water

In New Mexico, 11% of 12,256 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 New Mexico 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 $209 Already tested? Upload the report

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Systems that remove nitrate

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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 New Mexico: 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
Otero	36%	472	98%	2.4	230 mg/L
Los Alamos	18%	326	100%	0.902	170 mg/L
Union	15%	102	100%	2.71	54 mg/L
Grant	15%	116	99%	2	220 mg/L
Torrance	14%	243	100%	1.1	190 mg/L
Bernalillo	13%	3,626	80%	1	529 mg/L
Eddy	13%	328	99%	1.17	564 mg/L
Valencia	12%	133	79%	0.6	305 mg/L
Santa Fe	12%	744	98%	1.5	208 mg/L
Cibola	10%	499	92%	0.76	75 mg/L
Harding	10%	59	100%	1.6	31 mg/L
Doña Ana	10%	2,085	87%	2.1	120 mg/L
Hidalgo	10%	113	100%	2.6	162 mg/L
Socorro	9%	380	96%	0.805	350 mg/L
Sierra	9%	208	97%	1.11	83.7 mg/L

Alamogordo CCD, Otero County48% of 329
Loco Hills CCD, Eddy County28% of 68
Claunch CCD, Socorro County23% of 86
Los Alamos CCD, Los Alamos County18% of 326
Mountainair-Encino CCD, Torrance County17% of 86
East Bernalillo CCD, Bernalillo County17% of 2,190
Clayton South CCD, Union County16% of 74
Grants CCD, Cibola County16% of 285
Belen CCD, Valencia County16% of 64
Santa Fe North CCD, Santa Fe County14% of 494
White Sands CCD, Doña Ana County14% of 1,441
Estancia CCD, Torrance County13% of 157
Northwest Chaves CCD, Chaves County13% of 103
Southeast Otero CCD, Otero County13% of 96
North Hidalgo CCD, Hidalgo County12% of 91
Carlsbad CCD, Eddy County12% of 130
Deming North CCD, Luna County11% of 35
Tyrone CCD, Grant County11% of 44
Truth or Consequences East CCD, Sierra County10% of 89
Santa Fe CCD, Santa Fe County9% of 76

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.