Nitrate

Town of Leonardtown

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	Range of results
2014	ND	3	ND
2015	ND	3	ND
2016	ND	6	ND
2017	ND	6	ND
2018	ND	3	ND
2019	ND	3	ND

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
2014-04-09	140409_03_TL0409	ND
2014-04-09	140409_04_TOL040	ND
2014-04-09	140409_03_TOL040	ND
2015-04-22	0180006-04222015	ND
2015-04-22	0180006-04222015	ND
2015-04-22	0180006-04222015	ND
2016-04-20	25958_000001	ND
2016-04-20	25958_000002	ND
2016-04-20	25958_000003	ND
2016-08-10	0180006_081016_T	ND
2016-08-10	0180006_081016_W	ND
2016-08-10	0180006_081016_T	ND
2017-03-22	0180006_032217_W	ND
2017-03-22	0180006_032217_W	ND
2017-03-22	0180006_032217_W	ND
2017-12-19	0180006_121917_W	ND
2017-12-19	0180006_121917_W	ND
2017-12-19	0180006_121917_W	ND
2018-11-27	0180006_112718_W	ND
2018-11-27	0180006_112718_W	ND
2018-11-29	0180006_112918_W	ND
2019-05-21	0180006_052119_W	ND
2019-05-21	0180006_052119_W	ND
2019-05-21	0180006_052119_W	ND