Water test on well system.

[patrick88]

I have a friend that is trying to sell his house in my town. Holland Ma.
He just got his well water tested. The test came back with a 6.0 nitrate level. He is telling me 5.0 is max in Ma. What do he need to fix this. My local filter suplier says a RO unit should work but very $$$. The guy is just trying to sell the house and be done with it.

I do not know the depth of the well but it is deep. The house is also on septic.

The owner of the house is a friend of mine and lives in Boston now 1.5 hours away.

[Bob NH]

If it is a deep well it is hard to understand where high nitrate is coming from.

If it is a shallow well, there there may be infiltration from yard runoff (fertilizer) or if it is near a septic system it could be caused by contamination from that. If it is on a farm it could be contaminated from a manure pile.

A shallow dug well with a crock or cistern could be contaminated by some animal having fallen into it that is decomposing.

It may be that the well head is not properly protected or sealed. If the well is not properly protected then that should be fixed, the water pumped out, and retested in a couple of weeks.

If it is a shallow well the solution is probably a deep well, but then you have to consider the possibility of hard water or even arsenic.

He should have a sanitary survey done and try to find the cause. There may be a local health agency that would help with that. I do a lot of work in Maine and there is an organization called Maine Rural Water Association that helps people with that kind of problem.

After the sanitary survey is completed, I would have it retested.

Putting in an RO sustem for household water would be my last choice, even after considering a good deep well.

[patrick88]

I am told there was a horse farm out behind his house more than 8 years ago. My friend moved in about 8 years ago. This farm was a bit up hill from his yard. Before he moved in the test on the water was 5.4 nitrate. 8 years later it is 6.0 I assume all the rain we have had has washed it down to his well, or something. If anybody else has more info I can give Please do thank you very much.

Thanks for the info Bob NH