Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Hemlock Mutual Water Company

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.

 

32

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

31

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20181.62 ppm551.30 ppm - 1.90 ppm
20191.19 ppm550.570 ppm - 1.80 ppm
20201.12 ppm76ND - 4.10 ppm
20210.704 ppm550.620 ppm - 0.760 ppm
20220.574 ppm550.500 ppm - 0.680 ppm
20231.89 ppm550.470 ppm - 4.10 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

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
2018-03-09CA1910053_002_002-2018030909101.90 ppm
2018-06-27CA1910053_002_002-2018062709101.80 ppm
2018-09-06CA1910053_002_002-2018090608501.60 ppm
2018-12-05CA1910053_002_002-2018120509051.30 ppm
2018-12-05CA1910053_001_001-2018120509151.50 ppm
2019-03-05CA1910053_002_002-2019030509001.10 ppm
2019-06-05CA1910053_002_002-2019060509201.80 ppm
2019-09-09CA1910053_002_002-2019090910201.20 ppm
2019-12-02CA1910053_001_001-2019120210001.30 ppm
2019-12-02CA1910053_002_002-2019120209450.570 ppm
2020-03-03CA1910053_002_002-2020030310150.410 ppm
2020-06-02CA1910053_002_002-202006020930ND
2020-09-02CA1910053_002_002-2020090208050.970 ppm
2020-10-06CA1910053_001_001-2020100607300.670 ppm
2020-10-06CA1910053_002_002-2020100607450.840 ppm
2020-11-17CA1910053_001_001-2020111709404.10 ppm
2020-11-17CA1910053_002_002-2020111709300.870 ppm
2021-02-08CA1910053_002_002-2021020808350.690 ppm
2021-06-08CA1910053_002_002-2021060808500.750 ppm
2021-07-07CA1910053_002_002-2021070711000.760 ppm
2021-10-15CA1910053_001_001-2021101509500.620 ppm
2021-10-15CA1910053_002_002-2021101509350.700 ppm
2022-01-07CA1910053_002_002-2022010709200.680 ppm
2022-04-07CA1910053_002_002-2022040709550.590 ppm
2022-07-07CA1910053_002_002-2022070710450.520 ppm
2022-10-05CA1910053_001_001-2022100511000.580 ppm
2022-10-05CA1910053_002_002-2022100510450.500 ppm
2023-02-13CA1910053_002_002-2023021310050.470 ppm
2023-04-17CA1910053_002_002-2023041708400.940 ppm
2023-07-21CA1910053_002_002-2023072109453.20 ppm
2023-10-05CA1910053_002_002-2023100509304.10 ppm
2023-10-05CA1910053_001_001-2023100509500.730 ppm