Tap water high nitrates?

[justarn]

Hey all after relying on my test strips for my nitrate test for years I bought an api liquid nitrate test kit.... results are worrying. ...
Is this actually accurate? Im skeptical, in the uk in kent....

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[justarn]

My test strips were <5ppm after water change 40ppm before weekly 70% change on my heavily stocked 300g

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[that_fish_Guy]

Looks like ur somewhere between 40-80 ppm? I have the same test kit and I got the same color nitrate reading after testing my 180. I did a large WC two days in a row that seemed to solve the issue some.


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[justarn]

yeah but this is my cold feed tap water! i find it hard to believe, i used as per instructions.... baffled. i need another kit i think...

 

[duanes]

I just googled the Kent annual water quality report, thus is what I found.
Unless you have a private well under the influence of agricultural runoff, and knowing how water providers are regulated, I would tend to believe the report, rather than an aquarium test. There are many, many variables that can skew amateur tests.
http://www.southernwater.co.uk/at-h...-quality/drinking-water-quality-standards.asp

 

[justarn]

hmmm

so the nitrate nitrite section isnt too clear, is it 0.5 mg/l or 50mg/l?? little confused?

also how does mg/l convert to ppm or are they the same?

edit, pretty much the same... so they are saying 50ppm nitrate outta the tap?

 

[duanes]

I believe they are saying raw water (untreated) is 50ppm, but treatment reduces it to less than 1ppm.
But....I would call them to be sure.
In the US, 10ppm is the maximum amount of nitrate allowed in treated water for human consumption, because anything over 10ppm is dangerous for very young children (causes methemoglobinemia(blue baby syndrome)).
No legitimate water treatment facility would surpass the MCL.
And if for some reason your tap water had a nitrate concentration over 10ppm, there would be a media blitz warning that any children under the age of 2 years, should only drink bottled water.

 

[justarn]

great, thanks duanes... i think first of all i will get my mate to test my water with his high quality marine test kit and go from there... so its highly unlikely that the test kit is reading accurately then in reality... if it is i will cause a s#it storm for southeren water!-)

 

[Drstrangelove]

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/nitratenitrite2ndadd.pdf

 

[justarn]

thanks, the agricultural part is interesting as kent, uk is full of livestock...