Nitrate
Middletown 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.
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 | 0.191 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.00800 ppm - 0.374 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.172 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.00600 ppm - 0.337 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.159 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.00800 ppm - 0.309 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.237 ppm | 2 | 2 | 0.00800 ppm - 0.465 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.140 ppm | 2 | 1 | ND - 0.280 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.146 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0110 ppm - 0.289 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-01 | NOX 200489001 | 0.00800 ppm |
| 2018-04-16 | NOX 200492152 | 0.374 ppm |
| 2019-05-13 | NOX 200531892 | 0.337 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | NOX 200533082 | 0.00600 ppm |
| 2020-05-06 | NOX 200574724 | 0.00800 ppm |
| 2020-05-14 | NOX 200575834 | 0.309 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | NOX 200611335 | 0.00800 ppm |
| 2021-03-30 | NOX 200611336 | 0.465 ppm |
| 2022-05-11 | N300182524 300182530 | ND |
| 2022-05-11 | N300182526 300182543 | 0.280 ppm |
| 2023-06-23 | N300370712 300370714 | 0.0110 ppm |
| 2023-06-23 | N300370718 300370720 | 0.289 ppm |
| 2023-06-23 | N300370724 300370726 | 0.0120 ppm |
| 2023-06-23 | N300370731 300370733 | 0.273 ppm |