Nitrate

Ladwp - Big Pine

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.364 ppm	2	1	ND - 0.727 ppm
2015	0.401 ppm	2	2	0.136 ppm - 0.666 ppm
2016	0.196 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.588 ppm
2017	0.387 ppm	3	2	ND - 0.626 ppm
2018	0.248 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.745 ppm
2019	0.331 ppm	3	3	0.158 ppm - 0.582 ppm

ppm = parts per million

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

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-08-26	1200-001-0815	ND
2014-08-26	1200-002-0745	0.727 ppm
2015-10-13	1200-001-1220	0.136 ppm
2015-10-13	1200-002-1210	0.666 ppm
2016-03-14	1200-003-1420	ND
2016-07-12	1200-001-1340	ND
2016-07-20	1200-002-0820	0.588 ppm
2017-06-12	1200-001-1555	0.626 ppm
2017-06-12	1200-002-1455	0.534 ppm
2017-06-19	1200-003-1555	ND
2018-12-03	1200-003-1540	ND
2018-12-13	1200-001-0825	ND
2018-12-13	1200-002-0830	0.745 ppm
2019-03-26	1200-003-0730	0.253 ppm
2019-12-11	1200-001-1020	0.158 ppm
2019-12-11	1200-002-0940	0.582 ppm