Other wells should be tested at least every three years. Samples taken from Georgia wells show that nitrate contamination is usually limited to shallow wells. Contamination seldom occurs in deep wells. If you have a shallow well, take extra precautions for wellhead protection. Once a water supply becomes contaminated with nitrate, it is very difficult and costly to treat.
Bottled water is a short-term solution to meet needs of drinking water and food preparation.
It may be practical to treat household drinking water, but it would be very costly to treat the large volumes of water consumed by livestock. The distillation process involves boiling the water and capturing and condensing the steam back into water. Because the minerals do not evaporate, they remain concentrated in the boiling tank. In reverse osmosis, the water is forced, under pressure, through a membrane that filters out minerals and nitrates. Water for other household uses should be left untreated.