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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

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CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Nitrate is a chemical that enters water from fertilizer runoff, leaching septic tanks, and erosion of natural deposits. Potential health impacts associated with Nitrate include cardiovascular or blood toxicity, kidney toxicity, and reproductive toxicity. [read more]

Sources of Nitrate:

	Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
	Industry
	Naturally Occurring (naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Nitrate tests reported by 32,210 public water suppliers in 41 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 176 million people in 23,704 communities drank water contaminated with Nitrate. In 657 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

175,800,996 People drinking water contaminated with Nitrate 23,704 Communities served water contaminated with Nitrate 12,390,279 People drinking water contaminated with Nitrate over health based limits 657 Communities served water with Nitrate above health based limits

Table. Nitrate Exposure by State

12.4 million Americans in 31 states were served tap water contaminated with Nitrate at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Nitrate contamination		Water suppliers reporting Nitrate above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
California	1,843	44,551,847	168	9,323,929
Arizona	686	4,795,584	30	1,270,554
Ohio	651	8,047,220	21	1,084,163
Washington	1,616	4,304,815	118	176,253
Illinois	744	6,528,995	16	149,709
Idaho	612	867,314	11	66,029
Pennsylvania	1,795	9,468,043	77	62,763
Iowa	709	1,872,590	40	51,945
Texas	2,782	17,387,944	46	48,336
Delaware	125	723,059	10	37,550
Indiana	760	4,260,932	16	24,018
Wisconsin	692	2,703,025	16	17,030
Kentucky	252	4,244,118	7	13,599
New Mexico	106	697,175	2	11,111
New York	639	1,495,651	7	9,675
Oregon	463	1,512,050	4	6,421
Michigan	958	3,690,561	12	6,301
Colorado	429	3,292,966	8	6,218
Nevada	238	2,198,573	3	5,982
Wyoming	156	270,352	2	5,670
Minnesota	457	2,378,151	6	5,589
North Carolina	1,786	5,240,569	10	1,378
South Carolina	465	2,416,677	4	1,358
Nebraska	71	166,465	4	1,308
Florida	1,456	14,133,201	7	1,158
New Jersey	430	6,597,517	3	615
Utah	400	3,547,236	2	535
Oklahoma	48	122,097	2	397
Massachusetts	432	6,672,577	2	260
Maine	251	270,913	2	241
Alaska	311	348,513	1	184
Tennessee	304	3,739,845	0	0
Alabama	166	2,958,321	0	0
Virginia	22	1,711,776	0	0
Arkansas	98	1,033,795	0	0
New Hampshire	410	526,082	0	0
South Dakota	190	433,436	0	0
Rhode Island	49	380,893	0	0
Montana	102	210,118	0	0
Total	23,704	175,800,996	657	12,390,279

Table. The most polluted communities

12.4 million Americans in 657 communities were served tap water contaminated with Nitrate above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Nitrate level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	South Monroe Monroe, UT	35	1 of 1	88 ppm (88 to 88 ppm)
2	Wheeler Farms Headquarters Bakersfield, CA	25	16 of 16	24.3 ppm (17.85 to 31.63 ppm)
3	Perrysville Water Works Perrysville, IN	502	20 of 20	22.65 ppm (14 to 29.2 ppm)
4	Eola Water Supply Commission Eola, TX	210	17 of 17	22.26 ppm (19.59 to 32.76 ppm)
5	Cya - Youth Correctional Facility Chino, CA	2,930	54 of 58	21.97 ppm (0 to 32.76 ppm)
6	Rra Lockett Water System Wichita Falls, TX	723	15 of 15	21.1 ppm (6.89 to 23.93 ppm)
7	Shady Lane Mobile Park Woodland Hills, CA	30	8 of 8	19.86 ppm (11.07 to 23.72 ppm)
8	Country Western Mobile Home Park Modesto, CA	120	2 of 2	19.27 ppm (19.25 to 19.29 ppm)
9	East Wilson Road Water Company Bakersfield, CA	35	11 of 11	19.1 ppm (11.75 to 27.11 ppm)
10	Deep Creek Hutterite Reardan, WA	65	5 of 5	18.8 ppm (1.9 to 23.7 ppm)

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Health based limits for Nitrate

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	10 ppm	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	10 ppm	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
California Public Health Goals	10 ppm	Defined by the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as the level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. For acutely toxic substances, levels are set at which scientific evidence indicates that no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, plus an adequate margin-of safety. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based solely on health effects without regard to cost impacts and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	10 ppm	Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	10 ppm	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	10 ppm	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for Nitrate

Water suppliers report an average of 1.0 Nitrate tests per year. 7,541 water suppliers failed to report any Nitrate tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Nitrate by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Nitrate (1998-2003): 32,210 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.0 per year

Nitrate Violations

Table. 10.6 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Nitrate between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	13,810	6,059
	(10.6% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	12,025	5,698
	(10.0% of all suppliers)
Reporting violations (1998-2003)	36	26
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	1,749	494
	(0.9% of all suppliers)