Nitrates in neighbors tap.

[jaws7777]

So we juat moved into a development thats on well water. We had a whole home filtration system installed with a nitrate filter so im fine.

I was talking with my neighbor who said he had his water tested and it came back with 5ppm nitrates. But when i tested his water with the api test kit i got 80ppm.

Im assuming an independent tezt would be more accurate than the api test kit so what gives ?

BrookKeeper i know your knowledgeable in thia subject.

 

[Mr Pleco]

Be sure to check your test kit for which quantity, NO3-N or NO3-, is indicated? May be difference? For me IMO API test kits are junk

 

[philipraposo1982]

first time I heard someone calling api test kits junk.

 

[kno4te]

I assume the neighbors was checked by the county or city J jaws7777 . Maybe a new test kit is in order.

 

[nzafi]

I am not a fan of the API nitrate test kit. I actually bought salifert which I find to be much better. From all the reviews I was able to gather, salifert was considered better. Plus salifert is suppose to be better for reading lower nitrate.

 

[Woefulrelic]

I know that any test is junk compared to the lab tests. duanes said they were using spectrometers more expensive than his truck, and Duanes doesn't seem like a cheap truck kinda guy. I'd question where his test was done, cause if they did a water test strip and lowe's I'd put less stock in it. 80 PPM is well above the legal avg for city water...

 

[duanes]

Especially with a well (I assume you mean private well) there are reasons you can have high nitrates.
If the wells water (aquifer) is at all influenced by agricultural run off, or if it is near an old or aboandoned septic system, etc, etc.
I was once called to a home where the family was sick with cryptosporidium,and their well, was down hill from a small feed lot. And my tests also were positive for E coli.
That said, if the test tubes have not been rinsed with DI water after each test, there is a chance residual build up is skewing the results.
A lab is required to rinse tubes in between tests, and wash their test glassware with acid to eliminate any residual contamination (my lab was).
I always rinse the tube at least 3 times with DI water before doing another test to avoid contamination, if you consider you are dealing in parts per million, the margin for error and contamination is great unless you use aseptic technique with each test.

 

[jaws7777]

Same kit ive been using on my tanks. Im sure its not completely accurate but if intest after a wc.... nitrate is low if i test before the wc nitrates are higher so the kit is working.

Yes its on a well and the land was used for agricultural purposes.

 

[robham777]

I have always assumed that the api test kit readings were more of an approximation than an exact measurement, but was thinking maybe a 5-10 ppm variance not 75 ppm. Can you test your water before filtering to see if you get similar results?

 

[Woefulrelic]

If homeboy is on a well in land used for agricultural uses he should not be surprised to hear his mutations were from lack of filtering