Nitrate

West Kern 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.

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Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2013	N/A	0	0	N/A
2014	0.454 ppm	11	11	0.0136 ppm - 1.09 ppm
2015	1.91 ppm	17	15	ND - 6.45 ppm
2016	N/A	0	0	N/A
2017	1.52 ppm	12	11	ND - 3.87 ppm
2018	2.70 ppm	20	20	0.258 ppm - 6.09 ppm
2019	1.69 ppm	14	12	ND - 5.43 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
2014-08-13	1396-021-0000	1.06 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-002-1436	1.03 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-004-1436	0.294 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-005-1436	0.149 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-013-1436	0.149 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-014-1436	0.206 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-015-1436	0.0904 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-016-1436	0.486 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-017-1436	0.0136 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-019-1436	0.429 ppm
2014-08-13	1396-020-1436	1.09 ppm
2015-06-24	5810-020-0820	3.16 ppm
2015-06-24	5810-018-0945	2.06 ppm
2015-06-24	5810-017-0735	ND
2015-06-24	5810-016-0905	1.97 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-018-1411	2.52 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-021-1411	1.32 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-020-1411	6.15 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-002-1411	1.03 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-017-1411	ND
2015-08-05	1396-016-1411	6.45 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-004-1411	1.06 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-013-1411	0.750 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-005-1411	1.06 ppm
2015-08-05	1396-014-1411	0.720 ppm
2015-09-09	5810-019-0845	1.70 ppm
2015-09-23	1396-015-1035	0.700 ppm
2015-09-23	1396-019-1035	1.80 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-013-1440	0.530 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-020-1440	2.64 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-015-1440	0.990 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-019-1440	2.01 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-021-1440	1.30 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-018-1440	2.89 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-005-1440	1.11 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-017-1440	0.400 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-014-1440	0.980 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-002-1440	ND
2017-09-19	1396-004-1440	1.46 ppm
2017-09-19	1396-016-1440	3.87 ppm
2018-06-06	1396-021-1243	1.22 ppm
2018-06-06	1396-018-1243	5.47 ppm
2018-06-06	1396-020-1243	6.09 ppm
2018-06-06	1396-019-1243	4.45 ppm
2018-06-11	1396-016-1243	4.37 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-020-1255	4.92 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-019-1255	3.75 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-002-1320	0.971 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-005-1320	0.931 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-004-1320	0.940 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-021-1320	1.000 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-015-1320	0.502 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-018-1255	4.01 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-013-1320	0.651 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-016-1255	5.50 ppm
2018-07-03	1396-014-1320	0.855 ppm
2018-08-01	1396-017-1430	1.61 ppm
2018-09-05	1396-020-1240	2.44 ppm
2018-11-06	1396-017-1050	0.258 ppm
2018-12-12	1396-020-1303	4.06 ppm
2019-03-06	1396-020-1500	4.87 ppm
2019-04-03	1396-018-1441	1.67 ppm
2019-06-05	1396-020-1228	5.43 ppm
2019-07-01	1396-021-1040	0.551 ppm
2019-07-01	5810-015-1200	ND
2019-07-01	5810-002-1200	0.720 ppm
2019-07-01	5810-014-1200	0.640 ppm
2019-07-01	5810-004-1200	0.750 ppm
2019-07-01	5810-005-1200	0.690 ppm
2019-07-01	1396-017-0945	ND
2019-07-01	5810-013-1200	0.450 ppm
2019-07-01	1396-018-0840	1.25 ppm
2019-07-01	1396-019-0820	2.07 ppm
2019-07-22	1396-016-0705	4.60 ppm