IMHO

Everything else on this site is sourced from federal and state records and peer-reviewed studies. This page is different — it is what I really think, plainly labeled as belief.

Opinion by Casey Danielson · Published August 11, 2026

I don’t want elevated nitrate in my drinking water. I don’t know whether it’s a health issue or not — that’s not my field. I believe American agriculture is a marvel of achievement. I believe America’s drinking-water providers are largely unheralded. And I believe polished drinking water is within everyone’s reach.

In my opinion, everyone drinking water containing more than 1.00 mg/L as N should use either a countertop or under-sink reverse osmosis unit, as a personal choice. Not only do NSF/ANSI 58 certified units remove 85 to 95 percent of nitrate, they also remove some other things you don’t really need, such as arsenic and uranium. A lot of drinking water purchased in stores is polished with reverse osmosis — I say, save the plastic, do it at home. An RO unit easily puts you in company of the majority of Americans, more than 200 million of them, drinking less than 1.00 mg/L as N.

If you are drinking more than 5.00 mg/L as N, my opinion’s the same, only louder. I expect it will take researchers a long time, if ever, to collect properly controlled evidence at this range to extend the Iowa studies. Until then, better safe than sorry is common sense, not science. Again, you can decide for yourself whether you want to polish your tap water with RO. That’s what I decided and that’s what I do.

If you are a non-profit or an NGO, I see several specific opportunities of different urgencies and sizes where direct help and creative thinking might be applied to nitrate-affected drinking water. Conservation efforts and regulation also deserve funding; however those processes are slow, and they do nothing for people in need today.

As for me, I’m Casey Danielson, a retired geologist realperson@nitratesmart.com who gave NitrateSmart its prime directive: every figure from federal and state records, every health claim from peer-reviewed studies, and every page verified by an independent suite of mechanical checks before it makes its way onto the website. If you have comments, corrections or would like to share ideas, please get in touch.