Nitrite in Idaho well water
In Idaho, <1% of 6,980 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrite (1 mg/L).
Nitrite is the short-lived form of nitrogen from septic systems and fertilizer. It causes the same infant blood disorder as nitrate at a tenth of the concentration, and usually points to fresh contamination.
Check your nitrite number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Getting it fixed
Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company, or see the treatment guide for what removes nitrite.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (1 mg/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis | 52 | 12% | 2% | 0 | 1.75 mg/L |
| Minidoka | 114 | 15% | 2% | 0 | 27.5 mg/L |
| Owyhee | 206 | 8% | <1% | 0 | 8.02 mg/L |
| Canyon | 1,262 | 13% | <1% | 0 | 3.3 mg/L |
| Franklin | 50 | 28% | 0% | 0 | 0.137 mg/L |
| Bear Lake | 65 | 17% | 0% | 0 | 0.012 mg/L |
| Kootenai | 110 | 12% | 0% | 0 | 0.04 mg/L |
| Custer | 64 | 11% | 0% | 0 | 0.02 mg/L |
| Valley | 93 | 11% | 0% | 0 | 0.02 mg/L |
| Bonneville | 120 | 10% | 0% | 0 | 0.045 mg/L |
| Adams | 52 | 10% | 0% | 0 | 0.02 mg/L |
| Power | 106 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 0.03 mg/L |
| Jefferson | 102 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 0.02 mg/L |
| Teton | 58 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 0.013 mg/L |
| Bannock | 233 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 0.025 mg/L |
- Rupert CCD, Minidoka County4% of 52
- Grand View CCD, Owyhee County1% of 74
- Middleton CCD, Canyon County<1% of 316
- Heyburn CCD, Minidoka County0% of 30
- Caldwell CCD, Canyon County0% of 107
- Montpelier CCD, Bear Lake County0% of 41
- Parma CCD, Canyon County0% of 181
- Glenns Ferry CCD, Elmore County0% of 68
- Notus CCD, Canyon County0% of 94
- West Salmon Falls CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 33
- Cascade CCD, Valley County0% of 42
- Marsing CCD, Owyhee County0% of 43
- Coeur d'Alene CCD, Kootenai County0% of 32
- Moreland CCD, Bingham County0% of 30
- American Falls CCD, Power County0% of 69
- Wilder CCD, Canyon County0% of 119
- Idaho Falls CCD, Bonneville County0% of 43
- South Bannock CCD, Bannock County0% of 118
- Council CCD, Adams County0% of 38
- Payette CCD, Payette County0% of 87
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. nitrite counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.