Nitrate
Laurel Pump District
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.
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 | 1.16 ppm | 13 | 7 | ND - 4.50 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.262 ppm | 13 | 4 | ND - 2.30 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.562 ppm | 13 | 5 | ND - 5.00 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.438 ppm | 13 | 7 | ND - 3.00 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.729 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.286 ppm - 1.92 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.416 ppm | 13 | 11 | ND - 0.905 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-13 | S531985 | 1.10 ppm |
| 2014-02-11 | S532058 | ND |
| 2014-03-19 | S532521 | 2.60 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | S462942 | ND |
| 2014-04-24 | S479212 | ND |
| 2014-05-08 | S563025 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | S563431 | ND |
| 2014-07-02 | S573044 | ND |
| 2014-08-13 | S573430 | 1.50 ppm |
| 2014-09-16 | S588490 | ND |
| 2014-10-09 | S588578 | 2.60 ppm |
| 2014-11-20 | S589537 | 2.50 ppm |
| 2014-12-10 | S589854 | 4.50 ppm |
| 2015-01-15 | S603149 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-02-05 | S603311 | ND |
| 2015-02-23 | S601958 | ND |
| 2015-03-10 | S603827 | ND |
| 2015-04-13 | S616923 | ND |
| 2015-05-12 | S617036 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2015-06-04 | S639991 | ND |
| 2015-07-23 | S640004 | 2.30 ppm |
| 2015-08-20 | S640019 | ND |
| 2015-09-09 | S640619 | ND |
| 2015-10-06 | S640020 | ND |
| 2015-11-03 | S643159 | ND |
| 2015-12-10 | S640579 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2016-01-07 | S643170 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-02-09 | S659775 | 5.00 ppm |
| 2016-02-22 | S659159 | ND |
| 2016-03-02 | S659798 | ND |
| 2016-04-13 | S640100 | ND |
| 2016-05-26 | S640314 | ND |
| 2016-06-29 | S671573 | ND |
| 2016-08-18 | S671718 | ND |
| 2016-08-18 | S671584 | ND |
| 2016-09-15 | S671822 | 1.40 ppm |
| 2016-10-27 | S671807 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2016-11-28 | S679698 | ND |
| 2016-12-13 | S671607 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-01-05 | S671612 | ND |
| 2017-01-27 | S679393 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-02-13 | S679700 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-03-13 | S671743 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2017-04-12 | S694206 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2017-05-16 | S694216 | 3.00 ppm |
| 2017-06-15 | S694321 | ND |
| 2017-07-21 | S737378 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2017-08-10 | S737434 | ND |
| 2017-09-12 | S757354 | ND |
| 2017-10-10 | S757404 | ND |
| 2017-11-14 | S757498 | ND |
| 2017-12-14 | S757506 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2018-01-24 | S757463 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2018-02-14 | S757771 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2018-03-13 | S757791 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-04-05 | S759344 | 0.864 ppm |
| 2018-04-06 | S770742 | 0.882 ppm |
| 2018-05-24 | S759352 | 0.286 ppm |
| 2018-06-05 | S759474 | 1.92 ppm |
| 2018-07-12 | S757801 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2018-08-30 | S759544 | 1.82 ppm |
| 2018-09-19 | S759570 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | S759591 | 0.386 ppm |
| 2018-11-14 | S757813 | 0.413 ppm |
| 2018-12-13 | S759672 | 0.340 ppm |
| 2019-01-10 | S759676 | 0.644 ppm |
| 2019-02-21 | S759643 | 0.905 ppm |
| 2019-03-12 | S759633 | 0.489 ppm |
| 2019-03-22 | S817053 | 0.665 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | S759636 | 0.533 ppm |
| 2019-05-23 | S759282 | 0.332 ppm |
| 2019-06-20 | S759290 | ND |
| 2019-07-24 | S759728 | 0.648 ppm |
| 2019-08-21 | S759703 | 0.386 ppm |
| 2019-09-03 | S759704 | 0.262 ppm |
| 2019-10-18 | S895865 | 0.285 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | S759358 | ND |
| 2019-12-09 | S919987 | 0.260 ppm |