A new methodology for the simultaneous determination of DOC and nitrate in water using dual pathlength and second derivative UV is proposed. A dual pathlength is proposed to allow the simulateous determination of DOC and NO3. The measurement can be carried out on raw samples, without prefiltration. Second derivative absorbance (SDA) at 226 nm is used for nitrate determination. SDA at 295 nm is used for DOC determination after nitrate correction. The method was tested on several hundred of freshwater samples.