Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Castroville Community Services 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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

16

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.286 ppm73ND - 1.000 ppm
20190.425 ppm43ND - 0.800 ppm
20200.525 ppm43ND - 1.20 ppm
20210.475 ppm43ND - 1.10 ppm
20220.533 ppm32ND - 1.10 ppm
20230.567 ppm32ND - 1.20 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
2018-01-16CA2710005_004_004-2018011615000.400 ppm
2018-01-17CA2710005_005_005-2018011711301.000 ppm
2018-01-17CA2710005_009_009-201801170915ND
2018-01-17CA2710005_003_003-2018011709050.600 ppm
2018-01-22CA2710005_009_009-201801220950ND
2018-12-03CA2710005_009_009-201812030908ND
2018-12-03CA2710005_010_010-201812030905ND
2019-01-28CA2710005_005_005-2019012810500.800 ppm
2019-01-28CA2710005_003_003-2019012810350.600 ppm
2019-01-28CA2710005_009_009-201901281045ND
2019-01-28CA2710005_004_004-2019012810550.300 ppm
2020-01-13CA2710005_004_004-2020011309350.300 ppm
2020-01-13CA2710005_005_005-2020011309051.20 ppm
2020-02-03CA2710005_003_003-2020020309150.600 ppm
2020-02-19CA2710005_009_009-202002190945ND
2021-01-19CA2710005_009_009-202101190925ND
2021-01-19CA2710005_003_003-2021011909450.500 ppm
2021-01-19CA2710005_005_005-2021011910101.10 ppm
2021-01-19CA2710005_004_004-2021011910350.300 ppm
2022-01-31CA2710005_003_003-2022013108500.500 ppm
2022-01-31CA2710005_005_005-2022013109201.10 ppm
2022-01-31CA2710005_009_009-202201310850ND
2023-01-30CA2710005_003_003-2023013009450.500 ppm
2023-01-30CA2710005_005_005-2023013009001.20 ppm
2023-02-06CA2710005_009_009-202302060915ND