Nitrate

City of Santa Barbara Water Department

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.

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Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	2.59 ppm	5	4	ND - 6.01 ppm
2015	2.68 ppm	18	12	ND - 6.87 ppm
2016	2.88 ppm	12	10	ND - 6.80 ppm
2017	2.65 ppm	9	6	ND - 7.10 ppm
2018	1.71 ppm	12	6	ND - 7.10 ppm
2019	1.34 ppm	15	6	ND - 7.40 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

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
2014-10-15	3774-035-1143	6.01 ppm
2014-10-21	9590-042-0758	0.926 ppm
2014-10-21	9590-035-0931	5.42 ppm
2014-10-21	9590-015-0843	0.587 ppm
2014-10-22	9590-004-1014	ND
2015-01-07	3774-035-1009	6.60 ppm
2015-04-08	3774-035-0935	6.48 ppm
2015-07-07	3774-035-0837	6.87 ppm
2015-09-09	9590-055-1515	ND
2015-09-15	9590-055-0826	ND
2015-09-16	9590-004-1134	ND
2015-10-20	9590-035-0956	5.87 ppm
2015-10-21	9590-004-0947	ND
2015-10-21	9590-054-1002	ND
2015-11-10	9590-031-1107	ND
2015-11-10	9590-042-0920	1.000 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-035-1006	5.87 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-035-1006	6.00 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-042-0920	1.06 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-053-1040	1.80 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-053-1040	1.78 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-005-1050	2.48 ppm
2015-11-10	9590-005-1050	2.50 ppm
2016-01-13	3774-035-0852	4.88 ppm
2016-04-07	3774-035-0851	6.68 ppm
2016-05-10	3774-015-1331	0.390 ppm
2016-07-13	3774-035-0930	4.76 ppm
2016-10-11	3774-035-1015	6.80 ppm
2016-11-02	9590-042-1015	0.980 ppm
2016-11-02	9590-053-1152	1.40 ppm
2016-11-02	9590-004-0838	ND
2016-11-02	9590-031-1120	ND
2016-11-02	9590-035-0916	5.90 ppm
2016-11-02	9590-005-1059	2.30 ppm
2016-12-07	3774-055-1013	0.500 ppm
2017-01-11	3774-054-1043	ND
2017-01-18	3774-035-1047	5.38 ppm
2017-05-18	9590-058-1734	ND
2017-11-07	9590-004-0955	ND
2017-11-08	9590-053-0939	1.40 ppm
2017-11-14	9590-035-0930	7.00 ppm
2017-11-14	9590-042-0848	1.50 ppm
2017-11-28	9590-042-0958	1.50 ppm
2017-11-28	9590-035-0928	7.10 ppm
2018-03-13	9590-005-1255	2.90 ppm
2018-03-13	9590-053-0910	2.60 ppm
2018-03-13	9590-031-1137	ND
2018-05-09	9590-004-0905	ND
2018-05-09	9590-054-0912	ND
2018-09-25	9590-042-0825	1.60 ppm
2018-09-25	9590-055-1120	ND
2018-09-25	9590-035-1041	7.10 ppm
2018-09-25	9590-053-0855	5.80 ppm
2018-09-25	9590-031-1340	ND
2018-09-25	9590-015-0947	0.540 ppm
2018-09-26	9590-004-1131	ND
2019-03-21	9590-055-1054	ND
2019-03-21	9590-015-0921	0.560 ppm
2019-03-21	9590-042-1025	1.60 ppm
2019-03-21	9590-035-0946	7.10 ppm
2019-05-22	9590-054-0926	ND
2019-05-22	9590-004-0921	ND
2019-06-25	9590-058-1200	ND
2019-07-17	9590-058-1324	ND
2019-09-18	3774-042-0911	1.35 ppm
2019-10-08	9590-058-1128	ND
2019-10-29	9590-004-1034	ND
2019-10-29	9590-031-0904	ND
2019-11-05	9590-055-0952	ND
2019-11-05	9590-035-1058	7.40 ppm
2019-12-05	9590-053-1403	2.10 ppm