Nitrate levels in area wells concern DEQ

Some private wells are unsafe for infants, but treated city systems, such as the one above, are safe.

Five of the top 20 areas for concern about nitrate contamination of the groundwater are in Elmore County or eastern Owyhee County.

But those levels of concern apply primarily to unacceptable levels for infants, and all of the wells that exceed the minimum levels set by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are private wells.

All the treated municipal water systems that draw from the aquifer, such as Mountain Home, Mountain Home Air Force Base and Glenns Ferry, are well below the minimum threat levels and should not be of concern to anyone drinking water from those systems.

Nitrate is a chemical form of nitrogen found in soil and water.

In elevated levels, nitrates can present a risk to human health. DEQ has established a series of Nitrate Priority Areas, where 25 percent or more of the sampled wells contain water with nitrate levels of 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or greater. The drinking water standard is 10 mg/L.

And that level, according to DEQ's groundwater program manager, Ed Hagen, is primarily for infants less than six months old, and a few other at-risk groups.

For more details see this week's Mountain Home News.