Improving water status is enshrined in the Water Framework Directive and it envisages the design and implementation of environmentally effective and economically efficient measures. The regulation on nutrient inputs, especially nitrogen, is an immediate area of focus. A considerable decrease in nitrogen fertilizer use has been noted in Slovak agriculture since the 1990’s. This was accompanied by a significant decline in livestock numbers, and this created ideal conditions for reduction of the diffuse nitrogen groundwater pollution. Excessive soil nutrient loading has both local and regional implications. Mapping these nutrients especially by nitrogen includes indication of nitrogen balance surplus which is essential in nitrogen’s spatial distribution in agricultural land. The areas which significantly reduce nitrogen can be identified by risk assessment; a combination of the agricultural land nitrogen load and the conditions for its transport to local waters. In evaluating the effectiveness of adopted agricultural measures and prospective introduction of additional or more stringent measures, it is essential to consider also the time of groundwater body response to the implemented measures, wich comprises also the residence of rainwater in the soil.