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FilterScored

Water · Best-of

Best Water Filter for Nitrate

The best water filter for nitrate is a reverse-osmosis system certified to reduce it - among our scored units the top certified pick is shown first below.

Nitrate is common in agricultural areas and private wells, and ordinary carbon pitchers and faucet filters do not remove it. The certified route is reverse osmosis. We rank only units with a verifiable nitrate certification - if your only concern is nitrate, do not trust a carbon pitcher.

How we score: We require a verifiable certification covering nitrate reduction (typically NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis), then rank by composite score.

  1. 17.3
    Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO

    The Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO is a ro water filter. It is third-party certified (IAPMO) to reduce chlorine taste and odor, total dissolved solids (TDS), lead, fluoride, cadmium, chromium-6, selenium, arsenic, nitrate, mercury, copper, barium, PFOA, PFOS, pharmaceuticals. Running cost works out to about $0.123 per gallon.

    • Certified to reduce: chlorine taste and odor, total dissolved solids (TDS), lead, fluoride, cadmium, chromium-6, selenium, arsenic, nitrate, mercury, copper, barium, PFOA, PFOS, pharmaceuticals
    • Cartridge life: 2,200 gallons
    • Cost per gallon: $0.123
  2. 27.2
    AquaTru Classic Countertop RO

    The AquaTru Classic Countertop RO is a ro water filter. It is third-party certified (IAPMO) to reduce lead, PFOA, PFOS, fluoride, arsenic, chromium-6, nitrate, chlorine taste and odor, chloramine, VOCs. It is also marketed for microplastics, for which we found no accredited third-party certification (so we award no certification credit; this is not a finding that it fails to reduce them). Running cost works out to about $0.287 per gallon.

    • Certified to reduce: lead, PFOA, PFOS, fluoride, arsenic, chromium-6, nitrate, chlorine taste and odor, chloramine, VOCs
    • Cartridge life: 600 gallons
    • Cost per gallon: $0.287

FAQ

Will a Brita or carbon pitcher remove nitrate?
No. Activated-carbon pitchers and faucet filters are not designed for nitrate. You need a reverse-osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 58, or a certified nitrate-selective ion-exchange filter.
How do I know if I have nitrate?
Public systems report it in their annual Consumer Confidence Report; private wells must be lab-tested. Nitrate is colorless and tasteless, so testing is the only way to know.