Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Smackover Waterworks

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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND30ND
2020ND30ND
20210.0883 ppm64ND - 0.140 ppm
2022ND20ND
20230.0533 ppm31ND - 0.160 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.14 ppm

The EWG 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
2018-01-30Y180320010ND
2018-01-30Y180320033ND
2018-01-30Y180320034ND
2019-02-11Y190450005ND
2019-02-11Y190450006ND
2019-02-11Y190450003ND
2020-01-27Y200300022ND
2020-01-27Y200300006ND
2020-01-27Y200300007ND
2021-01-26Y2102800380.130 ppm
2021-01-26Y2102800320.130 ppm
2021-01-26Y2102800260.130 ppm
2021-06-07Y211610007ND
2021-06-07Y211610008ND
2021-06-07Y2116100020.140 ppm
2022-01-24Y220270021ND
2022-01-24Y220270022ND
2023-01-31Y230330009ND
2023-01-31Y2303300100.160 ppm
2023-01-31Y230330004ND