nitrares in water

The poet, W. H Auden, once said that 'many have lived without  love, but none without water' Water is essential for health, recreation and economic activities. It's quality should be adequately monitored to ensure that it's safe for use e.g drinking-water.Nitrates, normally present in groundwater, rivers and even tap water, should be monitored as they lead to methemoglobenemia(blue baby syndrome) in bottle-fed infants.