Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Madera Co. Md1-hidden Lake Estates

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.

 

7

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

2

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND10ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND10ND
20230.515 ppm220.420 ppm - 0.610 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
2018-01-09CA2000544_001_001-201801090830ND
2019-01-22CA2000544_001_001-201901221045ND
2020-01-30CA2000544_001_001-202001300950ND
2021-01-20CA2000544_001_001-202101200927ND
2022-01-25CA2000544_001_001-202201251050ND
2023-01-24CA2000544_001_001-2023012408250.610 ppm
2023-03-22CA2000544_001_001-2023032209300.420 ppm