Nitrate

City of Nacogdoches

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	0.0343 ppm	2	2	0.0250 ppm - 0.0435 ppm
2015	0.0683 ppm	2	2	0.0205 ppm - 0.116 ppm
2016	0.0858 ppm	2	2	0.0295 ppm - 0.142 ppm
2017	0.0972 ppm	2	2	0.0134 ppm - 0.181 ppm
2018	0.0871 ppm	2	2	0.0808 ppm - 0.0934 ppm
2019	0.126 ppm	2	2	0.0623 ppm - 0.190 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
2014-03-04	Q1406781003	0.0250 ppm
2014-03-04	Q1406781004	0.0435 ppm
2015-03-13	Q1509587012	0.0205 ppm
2015-03-13	Q1509587002	0.116 ppm
2016-02-23	Q1607697011	0.142 ppm
2016-02-23	Q1607698001	0.0295 ppm
2017-02-08	Q1705626003	0.181 ppm
2017-10-25	Q1754902006	0.0134 ppm
2018-01-30	Q1803538005	0.0934 ppm
2018-04-18	Q1815997001	0.0808 ppm
2019-01-17	Q1902680013	0.190 ppm
2019-01-17	Q1902680006	0.0623 ppm