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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrate

Plumas Lake

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

 

19

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND30ND
2015ND40ND
2016ND30ND
2017ND30ND
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND

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
2014-03-055879-005-0916ND
2014-10-225879-007-0850ND
2014-11-241233-001-0856ND
2015-04-221610-007-0832ND
2015-06-101610-005-0905ND
2015-11-111610-001-0830ND
2015-11-111610-007-0827ND
2016-04-141610-005-0805ND
2016-11-031610-001-0825ND
2016-12-131610-007-0849ND
2017-04-181610-005-0855ND
2017-06-221610-007-0817ND
2017-06-221610-001-0820ND
2018-04-191610-005-0908ND
2018-06-071610-007-0824ND
2018-06-071610-001-0818ND
2019-04-181610-005-0846ND
2019-06-181610-007-0905ND
2019-06-181610-001-0913ND