Nitrite in Maine well water
In Maine, <1% of 31,613 private wells tested had nitrite above the Maine guideline (1 mg/L), according to Maine CDC.
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 Maine guideline and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Maine well for nitrite
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
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Systems that remove nitrite
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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 nitrite
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For nitrite
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 nitrite in Maine: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (1 mg/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, to .
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook | 1,089 | ||
| Knox | 798 | ||
| Franklin | 938 | ||
| Somerset | 1,098 | ||
| Androscoggin | 1,542 | ||
| York | 2,518 | ||
| Penobscot | 3,018 | ||
| Kennebec | 5,244 | ||
| Cumberland | 4,301 | ||
| Hancock | 2,896 | ||
| Lincoln | 2,106 | ||
| Waldo | 1,652 | ||
| Washington | 1,422 | ||
| Oxford | 1,344 | ||
| Sagadahoc | 1,263 |
Towns with the highest share above the state level
- Hudson, Penobscot County2% of 44 wells
- Hope, Knox County2% of 45 wells
- Canaan, Somerset County2% of 62 wells
- Presque Isle, Aroostook County2% of 67 wells
- Lebanon, York County1% of 89 wells
- Jay, Franklin County<1% of 122 wells
- Greene, Androscoggin County<1% of 159 wells
- Gorham, Cumberland County0% of 493 wells
- Augusta, Kennebec County0% of 485 wells
- Ellsworth, Hancock County0% of 398 wells
- Winthrop, Kennebec County0% of 385 wells
- Brunswick, Cumberland County0% of 369 wells
- Sidney, Kennebec County0% of 341 wells
- West Gardiner, Kennebec County0% of 340 wells
- Readfield, Kennebec County0% of 326 wells
- Harpswell, Cumberland County0% of 314 wells
- Buxton, York County0% of 310 wells
- Windham, Cumberland County0% of 303 wells
- Chelsea, Kennebec County0% of 298 wells
- Standish, Cumberland County0% of 294 wells
- Monmouth, Kennebec County0% of 294 wells
- Freeport, Cumberland County0% of 282 wells
- Whitefield, Lincoln County0% of 277 wells
- Saco, York County0% of 267 wells
- Litchfield, Kennebec County0% of 265 wells
Sources
- Maine Tracking Network private well summaries: Town summaries of private well tests run by the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, published by Maine CDC through the Maine Tracking Network. Shares are against Maine's guideline for each analyte (arsenic 10 ug/L, uranium 30 ug/L, fluoride 2 mg/L, manganese 0.3 mg/L, nitrate 10 mg/L, nitrite 1 mg/L). Towns with too few tests are suppressed (NR). Only the share above the guideline and wells tested are published; no medians. Retrieved September 3, 2026.