Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Mariana Ranchos County 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.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

14

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.870 ppm220.850 ppm - 0.890 ppm
20190.607 ppm330.520 ppm - 0.680 ppm
20200.725 ppm220.680 ppm - 0.770 ppm
20210.735 ppm220.700 ppm - 0.770 ppm
20220.740 ppm330.650 ppm - 0.870 ppm
20230.630 ppm220.590 ppm - 0.670 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
2018-01-08CA3610030_001_001-2018010810200.850 ppm
2018-02-16CA3610030_002_002-2018021607050.890 ppm
2019-02-13CA3610030_002_002-2019021309100.620 ppm
2019-03-11CA3610030_001_001-2019031110010.680 ppm
2019-05-13CA3610030_002_002-2019051309500.520 ppm
2020-01-13CA3610030_002_002-2020011313060.770 ppm
2020-02-10CA3610030_001_001-2020021007450.680 ppm
2021-02-10CA3610030_001_001-2021021009390.700 ppm
2021-03-18CA3610030_002_002-2021031813150.770 ppm
2022-03-14CA3610030_002_002-2022031411450.650 ppm
2022-05-09CA3610030_001_001-2022050910240.870 ppm
2022-12-12CA3610030_002_002-2022121209400.700 ppm
2023-04-10CA3610030_001_001-2023041009000.590 ppm
2023-11-20CA3610030_002_002-2023112008300.670 ppm