Nitrates in tap! What to do?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Not supposed to have nitrates in tap water in the US. First world country and all. It's a pollutant. So, I'd say get another test kit and be sure it's really that high. If they both agree, call your local news channel, university biology department, local environmentalist types. Make some noise! :)
 
duanes said:
I just goggled the Las Vegas water quality report, in the normal tap water, nitrate is usually below 1ppm, and the highest detect reading was 6.2ppm, so I believe either your test is suspect, your glass ware is tainted, or some other factor.
If you scroll down a few pages you will find among 25 other chemicals tested, you will find nitrate. The MCL is left, and test results to the right.
https://www.lvvwd.com/assets/pdf/wqreport.pdf
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Weird. Thanks for the info. I am going to do multiple tests and just nitrate tomorrow and post the results
 
Empyreal said:
I thought nitrates in tap can be common in some areas? Is it really considered a dangerous polutant?
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Nitrate levels are commonly high in private wells within agricultural areas, but they should not be present in above 10 ppm in any municipal water supply. I assume you do not have a private well in Vegas... I am going to guess that is is the test kit... you could test the test with some bottled water that is treated by reverse osmosis or deionization, which should read zero. Mix ratios of your tap water and retest to see if the results follow the ratio.
 
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has to be below 50ppm in europe, there have been no cases of blue baby syndrome since the 1920's here and that was from well water and not tap water. uk average is 40ppm! we all drink it and keep our fish in it, most fish will tolerate above 100ppm although it may effect them long term, below 50ppm is advised at all times but obviously the lower the better.
 
I use algone in my tanks and it works pretty well. You just put it into your filter and it absorbs the nitrates from the water. It's kinda expensive, so it might not be worth if it if you have a super big tank.
 
Ok guys. I did another test today. The 2nd and 3rd pics are two different vials as I did it twice. I followed instructions to a tee and the kit doesn't expire until 2017


20150812_215440.jpg 20150812_215548.jpg 20150812_215530.jpg
 
Can you test some bottled drinking water, I'm with brookkeeper, sound like at some stage you have mixed up the bottle caps on your test kit and contaminated the kit.

I have done this before by accidentally putting the ph cap back into the ammonia bottle and it screwed up the validity of the tests.

I would be throwing your kit in the bin and getting a new one!
 
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