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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrate

Buttonwillow County Water 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.

 

15

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND30ND
20150.900 ppm31ND - 2.70 ppm
20161.05 ppm21ND - 2.10 ppm
20170.700 ppm21ND - 1.40 ppm
2018ND30ND
20190.550 ppm21ND - 1.10 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
2014-12-235806-001-0950ND
2014-12-235806-002-1000ND
2014-12-235806-003-0930ND
2015-12-155806-001-11302.70 ppm
2015-12-155806-002-1150ND
2015-12-155806-003-1115ND
2016-12-225806-001-10252.10 ppm
2016-12-225806-003-1005ND
2017-12-135806-001-14301.40 ppm
2017-12-265806-003-1435ND
2018-12-315806-001-0915ND
2018-12-315806-002-0930ND
2018-12-315806-003-0950ND
2019-12-305806-001-09101.10 ppm
2019-12-305806-003-0900ND