Benefits of Safer Drinking Water: The Value of Nitrate Reduction
by
Steve Crutchfield,
Joseph Cooper, and
Daniel HellersteinAgricultural Economic Report No. (AER-752) 18 pp, June 1997
Nitrates in drinking water, which may come from nitrogen fertilizers applied to crops, are a
potential health risk. This report evaluates the potential benefits of reducing human exposure to
nitrates in the drinking water supply. In a survey, respondents were asked a series of questions
about their willingness to pay for a hypothetical water filter, which would reduce their risk of
nitrate exposure. If nitrates in the respondent's drinking water were to exceed the EPA minimum
safety standard, they would be willing to pay $45 to $60, per household, per month, to
reduce nitrates in their drinking water to the minimum safety standard. There are 2.9 million
households in the four regions studied (White River area of Indiana, Central Nebraska, Lower
Susquehanna, and Mid-Columbia Basin in Washington). If all households potentially at risk
were protected from excessive nitrates in drinking water the estimated benefits would be $350
million.
Keywords: Water quality, drinking water, nitrates, benefits, contingent valuation
In this publication...
Need help with PDFs?
Order this Publication