Nitrate
Avon Water Company
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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.00 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.804 ppm - 4.04 ppm |
| 2019 | 1.91 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.636 ppm - 4.16 ppm |
| 2020 | 1.90 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.786 ppm - 3.66 ppm |
| 2021 | 1.93 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.684 ppm - 3.69 ppm |
| 2022 | 1.95 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.560 ppm - 3.90 ppm |
| 2023 | 1.75 ppm | 7 | 7 | 0.770 ppm - 3.09 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-03NOX | 0.940 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-04NOX | 4.04 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-05NOX | 1.51 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-06NOX | 0.917 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-07NOX | 3.12 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-08NOX | 0.804 ppm |
| 2018-03-05 | D8C0238-02NOX | 2.66 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519995 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519994 | 3.00 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519996 | 0.636 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519991 | 1.31 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519993 | 4.16 ppm |
| 2019-01-29 | NOX 200519992 | 0.958 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | NOX 200543733 | 2.27 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583281 | 2.76 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583283 | 1.02 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583284 | 3.66 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583285 | 1.06 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583286 | 3.21 ppm |
| 2020-07-20 | NOX 200583287 | 0.786 ppm |
| 2020-10-27 | NOX 200595558 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2021-04-13 | NOX 200613040 | 1.08 ppm |
| 2021-04-13 | NOX 200613045 | 0.983 ppm |
| 2021-04-13 | NOX 200613044 | 3.04 ppm |
| 2021-04-13 | NOX 200613042 | 3.69 ppm |
| 2021-04-13 | NOX 200613043 | 1.41 ppm |
| 2021-06-01 | NOX 200619066 | 2.59 ppm |
| 2021-06-01 | NOX 200619713 | 0.684 ppm |
| 2022-01-17 | CK17775 | 1.05 ppm |
| 2022-01-17 | CK17776 | 3.90 ppm |
| 2022-01-17 | CK17777 | 3.38 ppm |
| 2022-01-17 | CK17778 | 0.950 ppm |
| 2022-03-14 | CK86775 | 0.560 ppm |
| 2022-03-28 | CK96358 | 2.72 ppm |
| 2022-03-28 | CK96359 | 1.09 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29179 | 0.990 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29180 | 3.09 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29181 | 1.09 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29182 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29183 | 3.09 ppm |
| 2023-01-24 | CN29184 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2023-09-21 | CP05612 | 2.36 ppm |