Nitrate in Utah well water
In Utah, 8% of 11,031 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 Utah 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 Utah: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasatch | 783 | 96% | 2.1 | 366 mg/L | |
| Grand | 98 | 92% | 1.33 | 194 mg/L | |
| Tooele | 940 | 96% | 1.94 | 74 mg/L | |
| Washington | 767 | 91% | 2.31 | 207 mg/L | |
| Salt Lake | 1,755 | 90% | 1.35 | 98.3 mg/L | |
| Beaver | 470 | 97% | 1.91 | 1,600 mg/L | |
| Millard | 951 | 96% | 1.3 | 66 mg/L | |
| Utah | 689 | 91% | 0.9 | 85 mg/L | |
| Sanpete | 137 | 91% | 2.27 | 28 mg/L | |
| Box Elder | 497 | 97% | 1.31 | 76 mg/L | |
| Juab | 241 | 96% | 2.18 | 89.5 mg/L | |
| San Juan | 261 | 67% | 0.1 | 99.6 mg/L | |
| Iron | 703 | 99% | 1.85 | 158 mg/L | |
| Cache | 223 | 87% | 0.439 | 127 mg/L | |
| Uintah | 935 | 73% | 0.03 | 690 mg/L |
- Goshen CCD, Utah County34% of 95
- Thompson Springs CCD, Grand County33% of 39
- Heber City West CCD, Wasatch County29% of 462
- Heber City East CCD, Wasatch County25% of 161
- Tooele-Grantsville CCD, Tooele County17% of 561
- Hurricane CCD, Washington County12% of 583
- St. George CCD, Washington County9% of 143
- Salt Lake City CCD, Salt Lake County9% of 1,449
- Milford-Minersville CCD, Beaver County9% of 404
- Monticello CCD, San Juan County9% of 102
- Fillmore CCD, Millard County9% of 509
- Howell-Snowville CCD, Box Elder County9% of 305
- Moab CCD, Grand County8% of 59
- South Davis CCD, Davis County8% of 121
- Delta CCD, Millard County8% of 295
- Bingham CCD, Salt Lake County8% of 132
- Duchesne CCD, Duchesne County7% of 54
- Tremonton CCD, Box Elder County7% of 30
- Mount Pleasant-Moroni CCD, Sanpete County7% of 75
- Cedar City CCD, Iron County7% of 256
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.