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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrate and nitrite

Municipality of Anchorage

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

68

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

55

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20140.497 ppm87ND - 1.000 ppm
20150.555 ppm1413ND - 1.54 ppm
20160.481 ppm1210ND - 1.57 ppm
20170.515 ppm119ND - 1.08 ppm
20180.542 ppm119ND - 1.43 ppm
20190.559 ppm1211ND - 1.69 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-05-13IN*A1405164-01G0.219 ppm
2014-09-09IN*A1409133-01H0.145 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-04H0.465 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-05H1.000 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-07H0.649 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-08H0.586 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-09H0.910 ppm
2014-09-29IN*A1409503-10HND
2015-01-12IN*A1501154-01H0.850 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508263-01H0.201 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508264-01H0.145 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508263-07H0.632 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508263-07F0.632 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508263-03H0.670 ppm
2015-08-18IN*A1508263-02H0.452 ppm
2015-08-19IN*A1508284-01H0.115 ppm
2015-08-20IN*A1508298-09H0.766 ppm
2015-08-20IN*A1508298-10HND
2015-08-20IN*A1508298-05H1.54 ppm
2015-08-20IN*A1508298-04H0.504 ppm
2015-09-23IN*A1509278-09H0.718 ppm
2015-10-30IN*A1511004-08H0.539 ppm
2016-07-13IN*A1607204-01J0.199 ppm
2016-07-13IN*A1607204-02J0.480 ppm
2016-07-13WQ*A1607204-04J0.728 ppm
2016-07-18IN*A1607296-01J0.434 ppm
2016-07-18IN*A1607296-02J0.844 ppm
2016-07-18IN*A1607296-04J1.57 ppm
2016-07-19IN*A1607319-01H0.122 ppm
2016-08-02IN*A1608037-01D0.644 ppm
2016-08-02IN*A1608035-01DND
2016-08-29IN*A1608403-01D0.639 ppm
2016-08-29IN*A1608403-03DND
2016-11-08IN*A1611136-01B0.111 ppm
2017-08-21IN*A1708271-01E0.591 ppm
2017-08-21IN*A1708273-01E0.688 ppm
2017-08-21IN*A1708266-01D0.187 ppm
2017-08-21IN*A1708272-01E0.516 ppm
2017-08-28IN*A1708384-01C0.710 ppm
2017-08-28IN*A1708385-01C0.710 ppm
2017-08-28IN*A1708386-01C1.08 ppm
2017-08-28IN*A1708388-01CND
2017-08-29IN*A1708397-01CND
2017-10-02IN*A1710013-01K0.714 ppm
2017-10-31IN*A1711009-01E0.474 ppm
2018-07-10IN*A1807216-01LND
2018-08-07IN*A1808121-03J0.534 ppm
2018-08-07IN*A1808121-02J0.884 ppm
2018-08-07IN*A1808121-01J0.221 ppm
2018-08-14IN*A1808199-05K0.624 ppm
2018-08-14IN*A1808199-03J1.43 ppm
2018-08-14IN*A1808199-01J0.694 ppm
2018-08-14IN*A1808199-02J0.432 ppm
2018-08-22IN*A1808312-01J0.748 ppm
2018-08-22IN*A1808312-02J0.398 ppm
2018-08-23IN*A1808319-01JND
2019-07-10ARS3-19-02049-000.168 ppm
2019-07-10ARS3-19-02051-000.106 ppm
2019-08-12ARS3-19-02458-000.512 ppm
2019-08-12ARS3-19-02456-001.69 ppm
2019-08-12ARS3-19-02457-000.590 ppm
2019-08-13ARS3-19-02475-000.548 ppm
2019-08-13ARS3-19-02476-000.724 ppm
2019-08-14ARS3-19-02495-000.458 ppm
2019-08-14ARS3-19-02496-000.856 ppm
2019-08-21ARS3-19-02596-00ND
2019-08-21ARS3-19-02595-000.800 ppm
2019-10-02ARS3-19-03164-000.260 ppm