Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Sierra Cedars Community Services District

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.

 

23

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

1

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND30ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND30ND
20220.0650 ppm61ND - 0.390 ppm
2023ND30ND

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

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
2018-10-03CA1010052_002_002-201810031320ND
2018-10-03CA1010052_008_008-201810031315ND
2018-10-03CA1010052_001_001-201810031315ND
2019-08-21CA1010052_006_006-201908211300ND
2019-12-19CA1010052_002_002-201912191330ND
2019-12-19CA1010052_001_001-201912191330ND
2019-12-19CA1010052_008_008-201912191330ND
2020-03-24CA1010052_006_006-202003241045ND
2020-12-22CA1010052_002_002-202012221430ND
2020-12-22CA1010052_008_008-202012221430ND
2020-12-22CA1010052_001_001-202012221430ND
2021-06-22CA1010052_008_008-202106221400ND
2021-06-22CA1010052_002_002-202106221410ND
2021-06-22CA1010052_001_001-202106221405ND
2022-04-01CA1010052_008_008-202204010930ND
2022-04-01CA1010052_002_002-202204010905ND
2022-04-01CA1010052_001_001-202204010945ND
2022-11-15CA1010052_001_001-2022111511000.390 ppm
2022-11-15CA1010052_008_008-202211151115ND
2022-11-15CA1010052_002_002-202211151045ND
2023-12-20CA1010052_001_001-202312200845ND
2023-12-20CA1010052_008_008-202312200845ND
2023-12-20CA1010052_002_002-202312200855ND