Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Outlook Wa

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.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

6

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.333 ppm32ND - 0.600 ppm
20190.167 ppm31ND - 0.500 ppm
20200.233 ppm32ND - 0.400 ppm
2021ND30ND
20220.133 ppm31ND - 0.400 ppm
20230.0333 ppm31ND - 0.1000 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
2018-05-16CA2700622_002_002-2018051613300.400 ppm
2018-05-16CA2700622_001_001-2018051613150.600 ppm
2018-12-27CA2700622_005_005-201812271030ND
2019-01-15CA2700622_001_001-2019011512000.500 ppm
2019-01-15CA2700622_005_005-201901151230ND
2019-01-15CA2700622_002_002-201901151215ND
2020-01-17CA2700622_002_002-2020011711450.300 ppm
2020-01-17CA2700622_005_005-202001171155ND
2020-01-17CA2700622_001_001-2020011711350.400 ppm
2021-01-19CA2700622_005_005-202101191220ND
2021-01-19CA2700622_001_001-202101191200ND
2021-01-19CA2700622_002_002-202101191210ND
2022-01-11CA2700622_001_001-2022011111270.400 ppm
2022-01-11CA2700622_005_005-202201111135ND
2022-01-11CA2700622_002_002-202201111135ND
2023-01-17CA2700622_002_002-202301171142ND
2023-01-17CA2700622_001_001-2023011711350.1000 ppm
2023-01-17CA2700622_005_005-202301171143ND