Nitrate

Ilion

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	1.10 ppm	1	1	1.10 ppm
2015	0.250 ppm	4	1	ND - 1.000 ppm
2016	0.303 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.910 ppm
2017	0.113 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.340 ppm
2018	0.0525 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.210 ppm
2019	0.170 ppm	3	1	ND - 0.510 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	1400485-NITRATE	1.10 ppm
2015-01-12	1500411-NITRATE	1.000 ppm
2015-05-11	1506281-001-NITR	ND
2015-05-11	1506282-001-NITR	ND
2015-07-20	K1507304-NITRATE	ND
2016-01-11	1600466-001-NITR	ND
2016-01-11	1600465-001-NITR	ND
2016-01-11	1600454-001-NITR	0.910 ppm
2017-08-21	1713557-002-NITR	ND
2017-08-21	1713557-003-NITR	0.340 ppm
2017-12-04	1713557-001-NITR	ND
2018-09-17	1816055-1-NITRAT	ND
2018-10-15	1817927-001-NITR	0.210 ppm
2018-10-17	1818076-001-NITR	ND
2018-10-17	1818076-002-NITR	ND
2019-11-04	1918422-001-NITR	0.510 ppm
2019-11-04	1918422-002-NITR	ND
2019-11-04	1918422-003-NITR	ND