Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Aromas 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.

 

20

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

9

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0333 ppm31ND - 0.1000 ppm
20190.0667 ppm31ND - 0.200 ppm
20200.160 ppm53ND - 0.300 ppm
20210.200 ppm32ND - 0.400 ppm
20220.167 ppm32ND - 0.400 ppm
20230.233 ppm32ND - 0.400 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
2018-07-02CA3510004_004_004-201807020915ND
2018-07-02CA3510004_007_007-201807021210ND
2018-07-02CA3510004_011_011-2018070210090.1000 ppm
2019-07-08CA3510004_004_004-201907080750ND
2019-07-08CA3510004_007_007-201907080902ND
2019-07-08CA3510004_011_011-2019070808150.200 ppm
2020-07-06CA3510004_004_004-202007061154ND
2020-07-06CA3510004_007_007-2020070608180.300 ppm
2020-10-26CA3510004_007_007-2020102609550.300 ppm
2020-10-26CA3510004_004_004-202010261008ND
2020-10-26CA3510004_011_011-2020102608580.200 ppm
2021-07-12CA3510004_007_007-2021071211050.400 ppm
2021-07-12CA3510004_011_011-2021071210220.200 ppm
2021-07-12CA3510004_004_004-202107121155ND
2022-07-11CA3510004_007_007-2022071109300.400 ppm
2022-07-11CA3510004_004_004-202207111211ND
2022-07-11CA3510004_011_011-2022071110330.1000 ppm
2023-04-03CA3510004_011_011-2023040308500.300 ppm
2023-04-03CA3510004_004_004-202304031150ND
2023-04-03CA3510004_007_007-2023040309230.400 ppm