Testing Water Wells for Nitrates

Some farm families in Minnesota now know that nitrate levels in their wells could be higher than levels deemed acceptable by health officials. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) tested water quality for 125 families at FarmFest 2026 last week.

The department laid out this information about nitrate levels:

“Nitrate levels above 1 mg/L are considered elevated, and those above 10 mg/L are known to be harmful, especially for infants and pregnant women. Recent studies also suggest that long‑term exposure to nitrate in drinking water—even below 10 mg/L—may increase the risk of prematurity, birth defects, thyroid problems, and colorectal cancer.”

Minnesota rural water well quality

The department reported that five of the samples collected from water wells showed nitrate levels that exceeded the health standard. It recommended that the families have their water tested by a certified laboratory for further verification.

These wells could be at greatest risk for elevated nitrate levels according to MDA: those that are “shallow, aging, or damaged.”

What makes detecting high nitrate levels – other than testing – is that families may not notice their presence in their drinking water. Nitrates leave no detectable color, odor, or taste in the water.

MDA said higher nitrate levels are more likely present in areas that have sandy soil, karst terrain, or fractured bedrock.

Those conditions permit contaminants to move more quickly underground.

RELATED: Nitrates weren’t the focus of the report on this state’s key crop, but the evolving use of a weight-loss drug is.

Solutions for high nitrates in wells

Solutions for high nitrate levels could include installing a reverse osmosis or distillation system. Drilling a new well could also be a new option.

One of the most common threats to rural drinking water is the higher concentration of nitrates. MDA reminded residents that inspections of rural drinking water wells is the responsibility of the families, not state inspectors.

The department offered the clinic at FarmFest 2026 to bring attention to rural water quality.

“When more than a hundred families show up to test their drinking water, it tells you how important this is to people,” said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. “They want straight answers, and these clinics give them that right away.”

Nitrates in rural Wisconsin drinking water

A report by the Alliance for the Great Lakes pointed to the increased presence of nitrates in Wisconsin’s drinking water. Agricultural runoff, manure, and other bio-waste were responsible for 90% of the nitrate contamination, the report found.

"In the four communities we looked at, they've spent over $45 million on nitrate mitigation and that can come in the form of treatment, upgrades to the system, or even possibly well replacement," Angela Blatt, a co-author of the report and the senior agricultural policy manager for the Alliance, told WUWM-FM.

Cyberhack attempts on water ultilities

Wisconsin’s water utilities reported that they avoided nefarious cybersecurity attempts earlier this month, unlike some of their neighbors, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.  

 Iran-backed hackers may be responsible for attempted cyberhacks on at least 12 states, CBS News reported. Those states included Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey, and South Dakota.

Minnesota may have been the state most impacted with more than 30 community water systems affected, CBS News reported.

RELATED: Minnesota is one this farmer’s tri-state operation, and she wants federal leaders to hear what she has to say about a key issue affecting her family’s soybean operation.