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:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

FOUND ABOVE LEGAL LIMIT

states detected

23,924

utilities detected

224 million

people served

states over health guideline

19,544

utilities over health guideline

188 million

people served over health guideline

states over legal limit

105

utilities over legal limit

64,904

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

Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The health guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG and corresponds to one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.

ppm = parts per million.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

The enforceable federal standard that defines the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.

ppm = parts per million.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG)10 ppm

A non-enforceable federal health guideline. For cancer-causing chemicals, these health goals are typically set to zero.

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		1,685	30,080,699			1,754	32,405,560
Texas		2,017	20,669,866			4,002	25,755,361
New York		1,271	18,265,371			1,422	19,487,998
Florida		674	6,441,481			1,013	16,352,343
Illinois		730	8,902,485			995	9,694,573
Pennsylvania		1,225	8,878,917			1,264	9,000,315
Massachusetts		372	7,655,972			453	8,842,365
Ohio		604	8,489,066			651	8,800,834
New Jersey		304	6,092,355			327	6,732,103
Arizona		663	6,110,465			672	6,120,318
Tennessee		336	5,300,323			352	6,104,414
Washington		1,307	3,658,946			1,413	5,219,874
Alabama		331	3,968,482			403	5,062,637
Colorado		463	1,701,642			655	4,674,190
Maryland		178	4,368,668			188	4,666,567
Kentucky		316	4,145,823			339	4,321,845
Indiana		439	3,903,621			481	4,280,229
Michigan		108	4,089,917			112	4,243,641
Wisconsin		482	2,787,960			639	3,409,418
South Carolina		300	1,748,325			415	3,156,581
Minnesota		375	2,374,455			458	3,132,671
Missouri		65	2,935,437			83	2,981,999
Utah		369	2,869,268			374	2,871,115
Oregon		459	1,916,898			524	2,845,730
Kansas		717	2,479,381			763	2,696,205
Connecticut		348	1,887,072			406	2,672,917
Nevada		139	2,555,674			150	2,566,264
Virginia		38	2,103,768			51	2,554,635
Iowa		420	1,660,329			478	1,782,765
Hawaii		90	1,457,027			91	1,459,157
West Virginia		281	1,164,191			346	1,382,526
Idaho		483	1,003,633			505	1,036,909
Oklahoma		60	972,299			60	972,299
North Carolina		656	739,177			683	923,374
Delaware		101	841,724			106	874,146
Mississippi		139	465,902			158	706,633
District Of Columbia		3	644,822			3	644,822
South Dakota		200	448,680			206	467,829
New Hampshire		206	374,299			220	464,615
Arkansas		113	413,249			120	428,282
Rhode Island		45	346,692			52	374,960
Maine		148	155,857			197	360,936
Vermont		206	262,706			247	305,261
Georgia		8	269,232			10	269,456
Louisiana		4	219,993			4	219,993
Wyoming		17	105,784			17	105,784
Alaska		8	32,108			8	32,108
Montana		30	13,783			38	24,079
North Dakota		10	9,376			15	20,377
New Mexico		1	13,000			1	13,000

LESS

Utilities with the highest amounts of nitrate, 2015

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Eola Water Supply Corporation	Eola, TX	2 of 2	29.4 ppm	113
Apple Ave. Ws #03	Greenfield, CA	1 of 1	27.8 ppm	60
Rodriguez Labor Camp	Delano, CA	2 of 2	24.1 ppm	110
City of Weinert	Weinert, TX	4 of 4	22.4 ppm	208
Papago Butte Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	1 of 1	21.0 ppm	500
Beverly Grand Mutual Water	Arroyo Grande, CA	4 of 4	20.9 ppm	108
Sierra Mutual Water Company	Porterville, CA	4 of 4	20.7 ppm	39
Pretty Prairie, City of	Pretty Prairie, KS	5 of 5	20.6 ppm	681
San Vicente Mutual Water Company	Soledad, CA	10 of 10	19.0 ppm	90
Iverson & Jacks Apartments Ws	Salinas, CA	1 of 1	18.7 ppm	150
San Miguel Ws #01	Royal Oaks, CA	6 of 6	18.5 ppm	100
Lake Morena Views Mw Company	Campo, CA	3 of 3	18.1 ppm	360
Wheeler Municipal Water System	Wheeler, TX	4 of 4	17.7 ppm	1,651
Turkey Municipal Water System*	Turkey, TX	4 of 4	17.3 ppm	421
Thunderbird Farms Domestic Water Improvement District	Maricopa, AZ	6 of 6	17.0 ppm	1,600
El Camino Water Company Inc.	Spreckels, CA	3 of 3	16.8 ppm	90
Arrow Creek Trailer Court	Worden, MT	1 of 1	16.4 ppm	65
Hamilton Estates	Carmel, IN	1 of 1	16.1 ppm	90
Sol Y Mar	Pharr, TX	4 of 4	15.8 ppm	103
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	69 of 69	15.6 ppm	32,230
Franklin Water Systems 3	Southlake, TX	12 of 12	15.4 ppm	92
Peak Properties	Midland, TX	4 of 4	15.1 ppm	99
Son Shine Properties	Edison, CA	4 of 4	15.0 ppm	438
Soults Mutual Water Company	Tulare, CA	4 of 4	14.8 ppm	120
Northside Water Supply Corporation	Vernon, TX	4 of 4	14.7 ppm	225
Klondike Independent School District	Lamesa, TX	4 of 4	14.6 ppm	231
Oak Lane Mobile Home Park	Stevens Point, WI	8 of 8	14.6 ppm	90
San Joaquin Estates Mutual Water Company	Bakersfield, CA	3 of 3	14.5 ppm	165
South Midland County Water Systems	Midland, TX	2 of 2	14.5 ppm	165
Grassland Water Supply Corporation	Tahoka, TX	4 of 4	14.4 ppm	55

* 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.

LESS

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
La Verne WD	La Verne, CA	69 of 69	15.6 ppm	32,230
Chelan County PUD 1	Wenatchee, WA	1 of 1	9.17 ppm	13,170
Ottumwa Water Works*	Ottumwa, IA	4 of 4	8.20 ppm	25,023
Plover Waterworks	Plover, WI	12 of 12	8.07 ppm	12,420
City of Wasco	Wasco, CA	41 of 41	8.06 ppm	21,170
City of Shafter	Shafter, CA	19 of 19	7.88 ppm	16,928
City of Atwater	Atwater, CA	115 of 115	7.60 ppm	29,050
City of Vernon*	Vernon, TX	4 of 4	7.52 ppm	11,686
San Fernando Water Department	San Fernando, CA	1 of 1	7.20 ppm	23,839
Cedar Falls Municipal Water Utilities*	Cedar Falls, IA	22 of 25	7.09 ppm	39,260
Des Moines Water Works*	Des Moines, IA	35 of 35	7.09 ppm	233,020
Pella Water Works Department*	Pella, IA	4 of 4	7.03 ppm	10,352
Goodyear Water Department*	Goodyear, AZ	20 of 20	6.94 ppm	34,000
City of Dinuba	Dinuba, CA	56 of 56	6.75 ppm	23,666
Aqua Illinois-Vermilion County*	Danville, IL	4 of 4	6.68 ppm	38,000
Boone Water Works*	Boone, IA	12 of 12	6.63 ppm	12,909
University Water System*	Iowa City, IA	12 of 12	6.55 ppm	26,684
City of Burkburnett	Burkburnett, TX	5 of 5	6.53 ppm	10,927
Janesville Water Utility	Janesville, WI	14 of 14	6.49 ppm	62,720
City of Ceres	Ceres, CA	46 of 47	6.39 ppm	42,666
City of Los Banos	Los Banos, CA	40 of 40	6.39 ppm	37,168
Liberty Water Lpsco*	Avondale, AZ	24 of 24	6.38 ppm	45,298
City of Chino Hills*	Chino Hills, CA	64 of 64	6.33 ppm	75,655
City of Turlock*	Turlock, CA	74 of 74	6.33 ppm	64,215
Waterloo Water Works*	Waterloo, IA	32 of 32	6.33 ppm	70,070
City of Manteca	Manteca, CA	203 of 203	6.33 ppm	66,451
Newhall CWD-Newhall	Santa Clarita, CA	7 of 7	6.29 ppm	12,487
Johnson Utilities	Scottsdale, AZ	9 of 9	6.29 ppm	62,158
Westbury WD	Westbury, NY	46 of 47	6.28 ppm	20,500
Riverside Highland Water Company*	Grand Terrace, CA	10 of 10	6.23 ppm	14,500

LESS