Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that dissolves in water with no taste, smell, or color — and thanks to our farm-rich landscape, it shows up in Iowa water more often than most homeowners expect. The good news: testing is easy (and free for Iowa well owners through a state program), and Iowa State University Extension lists the home treatment methods that work. Here's the whole picture, minus the scare tactics.
Iowa State University Extension puts it plainly: nitrate in water comes from sources like agricultural land, septic systems, and livestock feedlots. In a state where farmland covers most of the map, some nitrate finding its way into groundwater and rivers is simply part of living here. The U.S. EPA lists the same culprits nationally — fertilizer runoff, leaking septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits.
Here's the part worth remembering: nitrate is completely odorless and tasteless, per ISU Extension. Crystal-clear, great-tasting water can still carry it, and slightly cloudy water may have none at all. A test is the only way to know — which is why testing, not worrying, is the whole game.
The EPA's legal limit for public drinking water is 10 mg/L of nitrate-nitrogen. That standard was set specifically to protect infants under six months old, the most sensitive group of water drinkers. City utilities are required to stay under it, and they treat and blend their water to do exactly that.
If your home runs on a private well, this section is for you. Nobody monitors a private well except its owner, and the Iowa DNR recommends testing at least once a year for two things: coliform bacteria and nitrate. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services gives the same annual advice.
Now for the best-kept secret in Iowa water: the state's Private Well Grants Program provides free laboratory testing for private well owners. Not discounted — free. Real, state-certified lab results, arranged through your county health department. If you do one thing after reading this guide, make it that phone call. And if the results turn up something you'd like to fix, our well water treatment page walks through the options calmly, without the sales pressure.
Public water systems are required to monitor nitrate and keep finished water under the EPA's 10 mg/L limit, and Iowa's utilities take that job seriously. In the Des Moines metro, Central Iowa Water Works ran its nitrate removal facility for 193 days in 2026 before taking it offline on July 23 (CIWW, July 27, 2026); see our Des Moines page. In Eastern Iowa, Iowa City's Water Division uses deep wells in the Silurian and Jordan aquifers specifically for nitrate dilution — blending that deeper bedrock water in to keep finished levels in check.
Curious what's actually been detected in your town's water? We've put together free, plain-English water reports for Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Marion, and other Iowa communities — just the numbers and what they mean for your family.
Three home treatment methods reliably reduce nitrate, according to Iowa State University Extension: reverse osmosis, distillation, and anion exchange. The CDC agrees that reverse osmosis systems can reduce nitrate, along with a long list of other contaminants.
Reverse osmosis treats a single tap, usually the kitchen sink; anion exchange is the specialized whole-home option. NSF/ANSI 58, the certification standard for RO systems, requires at least a 75% reduction in total dissolved solids.
Boiling is the big one to skip. The CDC is direct about it: boiling will not remove chemicals like nitrate from water. The Minnesota Department of Health goes a step further — because water evaporates as it boils, boiling actually makes nitrate more concentrated. Boiled water isn't safer here; it's slightly stronger.
Everyday carbon pitcher filters aren't the tool either. As the Minnesota Department of Health explains, nitrate isn't attracted to carbon, so it passes straight through the filter. That's no knock on carbon — the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension notes activated carbon does a genuinely good job on pesticides such as atrazine, plus chlorine taste and odor. It's simply the wrong tool for this particular job.
| Method | Reduces nitrate? | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse osmosis | Yes | Recommended by CDC and ISU Extension; NSF/ANSI 58 certified systems must cut dissolved solids by at least 75% |
| Anion exchange | Yes | Effective per ISU Extension; a specialized whole-home option |
| Distillation | Yes | Effective per ISU Extension; slow and uses a lot of electricity |
| Boiling | No | Concentrates nitrate as water evaporates (Minnesota Dept. of Health) |
| Carbon pitcher filter | No | Carbon targets taste, chlorine, and pesticides like atrazine (UNL Extension) — nitrate passes through |
Kind Water Co is a family-owned Iowa company, founded in 2021 by Ryan Brunton — we grew up on this water, and questions like this one are why we do the work. Here's our nitrate playbook, in order:
Every install is handled by licensed local plumbing professionals we vet, schedule, and stand behind.
Ready when you are: get a 60-second instant quote or request a free in-home water test — we'll bring the nitrate strips.
No. Nitrate is odorless and tasteless, according to Iowa State University Extension — water can taste perfectly fresh and still carry it. Testing is the only way to know. Iowa private well owners can get a free lab test through the state's Private Well Grants Program, and city residents can check their utility's annual water quality report or our free city water reports.
No — boiling actually makes it worse. The CDC notes that boiling will not remove chemicals like nitrate from water, and the Minnesota Department of Health warns that because water evaporates as it boils, the nitrate left behind becomes more concentrated. To reduce nitrate at home, use reverse osmosis, distillation, or anion exchange instead.
No — and we say that as a company that loves softeners. A water softener uses cation exchange to swap out hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium, so nitrate passes right through it. Reducing nitrate takes reverse osmosis, distillation, or anion exchange, per Iowa State University Extension. For whole-home nitrate treatment, Kind Water Co installs Whole-Home Nitrate Removal as its own tank after the softener, chosen from certified lab results.
At least once a year. The Iowa DNR recommends annual private well testing for both nitrate and coliform bacteria, and Iowa HHS gives the same guidance. Iowa's Private Well Grants Program makes the lab work free for well owners — contact your county health department to schedule it. It's a quick sample, and the results are yours to keep.
Yes. Public water systems must test for nitrate and keep finished water under the EPA's 10 mg/L limit, and they publish results in annual consumer confidence reports. Iowa City's Water Division even uses deep bedrock wells specifically for nitrate dilution. See what's been detected in your town in our free city water reports.
Nitrate is one of the few things in your water with a federal health limit attached, so it is worth showing exactly where each statement here comes from.
One note on how we talk about this. Nitrate is a regulated health contaminant, so we describe what the technology class does — per the EPA above — and what a certification standard requires, rather than publishing a removal percentage for our own equipment that we have not put in front of you. If you want the specific certification listing for a system we quote you, ask and we will show you the certificate rather than paraphrase it.
Whole-home water softening, filtration, and reverse-osmosis drinking water — professionally installed and built to last a lifetime.
Serving Des Moines, Polk County & homes across Iowa
Kind Water Co is a d/b/a of Zero Cap Investments LLC · 600 SE 15th St, Des Moines, IA 50317
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