Nitrate

Status: National drinking water standard exists

Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.

2015-2017:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

27,234

utilities detected

231 million

people served

states over health guideline

21,269

utilities over health guideline

189 million

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

112

utilities over legal limit

85,501

people served over legal limit

Health concerns for nitrate

Cancer

Harm to fetal growth and child development

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

The legal limit for nitrate, established in 1962, was developed to protect infants from acute methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening disorder of oxygen transport in the body. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer and harm to the developing fetus.

ppm = parts per million

States reporting nitrate in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		1,819	30,149,307			2,019	34,888,614
Texas		2,147	22,054,790			4,241	26,903,943
New York		1,455	17,883,242			1,843	20,313,144
Florida		695	6,461,178			1,233	18,107,372
Illinois		911	10,797,239			1,137	9,863,400
Pennsylvania		1,275	9,054,699			1,427	9,389,402
Ohio		626	8,383,533			741	9,081,671
Tennessee		345	5,492,580			369	6,665,784
Massachusetts		382	5,217,020			480	6,391,195
Arizona		677	6,304,012			694	6,351,979
Washington		1,386	4,028,811			1,585	5,412,754
Colorado		480	1,516,697			741	4,969,130
Alabama		329	3,914,294			391	4,968,355
Maryland		198	4,455,390			221	4,835,818
Michigan		159	4,428,527			157	4,522,418
Indiana		436	4,057,082			510	4,505,158
Kentucky		323	4,203,197			348	4,290,907
Wisconsin		536	2,862,245			827	3,593,289
New Jersey		130	3,198,191			151	3,570,782
South Carolina		358	2,143,374			439	3,513,436
Oregon		502	1,965,467			646	3,362,610
Minnesota		396	2,422,626			519	3,205,019
Utah		407	2,885,716			432	3,053,272
Missouri		77	2,775,731			82	2,804,328
Kansas		766	2,714,997			803	2,775,496
Connecticut		362	1,938,866			469	2,697,787
Virginia		71	2,235,339			81	2,686,892
Nevada		148	2,573,673			168	2,579,740
Iowa		521	2,016,146			618	2,187,113
North Carolina		748	830,763			809	1,756,282
West Virginia		333	1,290,655			377	1,482,624
Hawaii		84	1,444,046			93	1,458,724
Idaho		510	1,091,590			548	1,127,461
Arkansas		121	422,731			135	1,061,228
Oklahoma		101	1,037,797			98	1,035,872
Mississippi		148	477,280			219	944,703
Delaware		105	856,985			120	901,441
District Of Columbia		4	664,572			3	648,882
New Hampshire		232	434,243			281	514,820
South Dakota		234	458,536			251	510,425
Rhode Island		64	485,325			73	509,840
Maine		171	165,002			240	431,350
Georgia		17	341,186			31	369,085
Alaska		100	336,081			102	336,838
Vermont		211	262,905			275	316,373
Louisiana		5	221,316			10	229,719
Wyoming		23	108,710			20	107,042
North Dakota		32	45,812			37	62,993
Montana		107	36,351			138	49,662
New Mexico		2	20,832			2	20,832

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce nitrate

Utilities with the highest amounts of nitrate, 2015-2017

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
River Rd. Ws #25	Gonzales, CA	2 of 2	41.2 ppm	65
Eola Water Supply Corporation	Eola, TX	12 of 12	35.7 ppm	165
Apple Ave. Ws #03	Greenfield, CA	14 of 14	34.4 ppm	60
Rodriguez Labor Camp	Delano, CA	12 of 12	25.3 ppm	110
Diomede Joint Utilities	Little Diomede, AK	1 of 1	25.0 ppm	184
El Camino Water Company Inc.	Spreckels, CA	12 of 12	23.4 ppm	90
Sierra Mutual Water Company	Porterville, CA	18 of 18	21.7 ppm	39
Pretty Prairie, City of	Pretty Prairie, KS	13 of 13	21.1 ppm	681
Iverson & Jacks Apartments Ws	Salinas, CA	3 of 3	19.5 ppm	150
San Miguel Ws #01	Royal Oaks, CA	12 of 12	19.3 ppm	100
Beverly Grand Mutual Water	Arroyo Grande, CA	12 of 12	18.0 ppm	108
Turkey Municipal Water System*	Turkey, TX	12 of 12	17.3 ppm	421
Buckingham Water System	Tonasket, WA	2 of 2	17.1 ppm	32
M & J Trailer Home Community	Sandy, UT	2 of 2	16.7 ppm	20
Lemon Cove Water Company	Lemon Cove, CA	7 of 7	16.1 ppm	200
Hamilton Estates	Westfield, IN	1 of 1	16.1 ppm	132
Greenwood Terrace Mobile Home Subdivision	Amarillo, TX	12 of 12	16.1 ppm	120
Klondike Independent School District	Lamesa, TX	12 of 12	15.6 ppm	264
Coxville Water Association #1	Benton City, WA	11 of 11	15.5 ppm	52
Sol Y Mar	Pharr, TX	10 of 10	15.3 ppm	103
Son Shine Properties	Edison, CA	12 of 12	15.3 ppm	438
Northside Water Supply Corporation	Vernon, TX	12 of 12	15.2 ppm	225
Papago Butte Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	14 of 14	15.2 ppm	500
South Midland County Water Systems	Kingsland, TX	4 of 4	15.2 ppm	165
Rra Hinds Wildcat Water System	Wichita Falls, TX	13 of 13	15.0 ppm	178
Lake Morena Views Mw Company	Campo, CA	33 of 33	15.0 ppm	360
Whitharral Water Supply Corporation	Whitharral, TX	12 of 12	15.0 ppm	200
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	225 of 226	14.9 ppm	32,230
Rra Guthrie Dumont Water System	Wichita Falls, TX	12 of 12	14.5 ppm	402
Sherwood Estates Manufactured Townhome C	Fair Oaks Ranch, TX	13 of 13	14.4 ppm	102
Greenfield Public Works Authority	Greenfield, OK	2 of 2	14.3 ppm	123
Geary*	Geary, OK	2 of 2	14.3 ppm	1,258
San Joaquin Estates Mutual Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	12 of 12	14.3 ppm	165
Soults Mutual Water Company	Tulare, CA	9 of 9	14.2 ppm	120
Delta Water Association	Lynden, WA	24 of 24	14.2 ppm	420
Grassland Water Supply Corporation	Tahoka, TX	12 of 12	14.2 ppm	55
City of Dodson	Dodson, TX	11 of 12	14.1 ppm	109
Sierra Vista Association	Delano, CA	12 of 12	13.9 ppm	44
San Vicente Mutual Water Company	Soledad, CA	26 of 26	13.9 ppm	90
Franklin Water Systems 3	Dallas, TX	43 of 43	13.8 ppm	92
Oak Lane Mobile Home Park	Stevens Point, WI	24 of 24	13.8 ppm	40
Wilson Road Water Community	Bakersfield, CA	16 of 16	13.6 ppm	72
Lake Success Mobile Lodge	Porterville, CA	10 of 10	13.6 ppm	40
Adrian	Adrian, MN	36 of 36	13.4 ppm	1,211
Magnolia	Magnolia, MN	49 of 49	13.4 ppm	222
Hills	Hills, MN	49 of 49	13.4 ppm	686
Rock County Rural Water System*	Luverne, MN	49 of 49	13.4 ppm	2,256
Steen	Steen, MN	49 of 49	13.4 ppm	180
Thunderbird Farms Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	16 of 17	13.3 ppm	1,600
City of Quitaque	Quitaque, TX	12 of 12	13.1 ppm	423

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Nitrate, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	225 of 226	14.9 ppm	32,230
Chelan County PUD 1	Wenatchee, WA	1 of 1	9.17 ppm	13,170
Enid*	Enid, OK	2 of 2	9.06 ppm	49,347
City of Wasco	Wasco, CA	170 of 170	7.72 ppm	21,170
Plover Waterworks	Plover, WI	36 of 36	7.70 ppm	12,420
City of Shafter	Shafter, CA	50 of 50	7.57 ppm	16,928
City of Atwater	Atwater, CA	117 of 117	7.56 ppm	29,050
San Fernando Water Department	San Fernando, CA	3 of 3	7.53 ppm	23,839
City of Vernon*	Vernon, TX	13 of 13	7.37 ppm	11,686
Cedar Falls Municipal Water Utilities	Cedar Falls, IA	64 of 73	7.15 ppm	39,260
Goodyear Water Department*	Goodyear, AZ	60 of 60	7.09 ppm	50,001
Pella Water Works Department	Pella, IA	4 of 4	7.03 ppm	10,352
Johnson Utilities	Phoenix, AZ	40 of 40	6.85 ppm	62,158
City of Burkburnett	Burkburnett, TX	19 of 19	6.73 ppm	10,811
Riverside Highland Water Company	Grand Terrace, CA	39 of 39	6.58 ppm	14,500
Florence Water Company	Florence, AZ	12 of 12	6.58 ppm	14,880
City of Dinuba	Dinuba, CA	192 of 192	6.55 ppm	23,666
Ottumwa Water Works*	Ottumwa, IA	23 of 23	6.51 ppm	25,023
City of Chino Hills*	Chino Hills, CA	131 of 131	6.39 ppm	75,655
Liberty Water Lpsco*	Avondale, AZ	53 of 53	6.29 ppm	45,298
Newhall CWD-Newhall	Santa Clarita, CA	16 of 16	6.28 ppm	12,487
East Valley Water District	Highland, CA	558 of 561	6.25 ppm	87,000
Saint Peter	St. Peter, MN	48 of 48	6.24 ppm	11,758
Hastings	Hastings, MN	103 of 103	6.23 ppm	22,335
California Water Service - Livermore	Livermore, CA	780 of 782	6.20 ppm	56,700
University Water System	Iowa City, IA	34 of 36	6.20 ppm	26,684
Boone Water Works*	Boone, IA	36 of 36	6.20 ppm	12,909
Arizona Water Company - Pinal Valley*	Phoenix, AZ	49 of 49	6.18 ppm	88,019
Westbury WD	Westbury, NY	227 of 231	6.16 ppm	20,500
City of Ceres	Ceres, CA	147 of 148	6.15 ppm	42,666
Security Waster District	Colorado Springs, CO	66 of 66	6.09 ppm	19,000
Los Angeles CWWD 40, R24, 27,33-Pearblsm*	Alhambra, CA	145 of 145	6.09 ppm	10,557
City of Gilroy	Gilroy, CA	131 of 131	6.04 ppm	39,050
East Hempfield Water Authority	Landisville, PA	72 of 72	6.01 ppm	16,761
City of Los Banos	Los Banos, CA	102 of 102	5.98 ppm	37,168
City of Corona*	Corona, CA	2200 of 2,474	5.92 ppm	155,896
Loma Linda Power Plant	Loma Linda, CA	15 of 15	5.92 ppm	10,500
Waukee Water Supply	Waukee, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	13,790
Urbandale Water Utility	Urbandale, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	39,463
Johnston Municipal Water Supply	Johnston, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	17,306
Warren Water District*	Indianola, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	18,045
Clive Water Department	Clive, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	15,447
Des Moines Water Works*	Des Moines, IA	106 of 106	5.92 ppm	233,020
City of McFarland	Mcfarland, CA	10 of 10	5.91 ppm	12,333
Waterloo Water Works*	Waterloo, IA	76 of 78	5.91 ppm	70,070
California Water Service (CWS) - Los Altos Suburban	San Jose, CA	211 of 211	5.87 ppm	68,404
Janesville Water Utility	Janesville, WI	42 of 42	5.80 ppm	62,720
Rehoboth Beach Water Department*	Rehoboth Beach, DE	133 of 133	5.78 ppm	30,000
City of Manteca	Manteca, CA	712 of 712	5.77 ppm	66,451
California Water Service (CWS) - Salinas	San Jose, CA	1188 of 1,190	5.73 ppm	106,858