Nitrate
Gander Woods Pump 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.
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 | 0.366 ppm | 14 | 9 | ND - 1.12 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.527 ppm | 13 | 11 | ND - 1.21 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.933 ppm | 13 | 12 | ND - 2.82 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.881 ppm | 12 | 10 | ND - 4.74 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.647 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.336 ppm - 1.61 ppm |
| 2023 | 1.50 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.464 ppm - 7.55 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-29 | S757464 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2018-02-12 | S757769 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-03-12 | S757789 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2018-04-17 | S759335 | 0.799 ppm |
| 2018-05-24 | S757794 | ND |
| 2018-06-01 | S811935 | ND |
| 2018-06-07 | S759480 | ND |
| 2018-07-19 | S757802 | 1.12 ppm |
| 2018-08-22 | S759542 | 0.491 ppm |
| 2018-09-27 | S759578 | 0.274 ppm |
| 2018-10-01 | S759584 | ND |
| 2018-10-10 | S759589 | ND |
| 2018-11-13 | S757811 | 0.565 ppm |
| 2018-12-13 | S759670 | 0.371 ppm |
| 2019-01-03 | S759674 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-02-14 | S759627 | 0.316 ppm |
| 2019-03-20 | S759683 | 0.583 ppm |
| 2019-03-26 | S817083 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2019-04-11 | S759691 | 0.953 ppm |
| 2019-05-14 | S759700 | 0.343 ppm |
| 2019-06-10 | S759286 | 0.664 ppm |
| 2019-07-25 | S759730 | 0.310 ppm |
| 2019-08-13 | S759742 | ND |
| 2019-09-25 | S759709 | 0.564 ppm |
| 2019-10-15 | S759712 | ND |
| 2019-11-06 | S759355 | 0.322 ppm |
| 2019-12-10 | S919989 | 1.21 ppm |
| 2020-01-08 | S759364 | ND |
| 2020-02-10 | S922977 | 0.721 ppm |
| 2020-02-10 | S920066 | 0.723 ppm |
| 2020-03-04 | S922984 | 0.394 ppm |
| 2020-04-06 | S922989 | 2.10 ppm |
| 2020-05-07 | S923019 | 2.82 ppm |
| 2020-06-16 | S923027 | 1.40 ppm |
| 2020-07-29 | S919992 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2020-08-10 | S923033 | 1.47 ppm |
| 2020-09-22 | S992024 | 0.615 ppm |
| 2020-10-13 | S992012 | 0.271 ppm |
| 2020-11-17 | S992019 | 0.340 ppm |
| 2020-12-07 | S998271 | 0.651 ppm |
| 2021-01-21 | S992071 | 1.17 ppm |
| 2021-02-02 | S1035191 | 4.74 ppm |
| 2021-03-08 | S992077 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2021-04-14 | S923107 | ND |
| 2021-05-10 | S923079 | 0.397 ppm |
| 2021-06-04 | S923082 | 1.13 ppm |
| 2021-07-02 | S923152 | 0.252 ppm |
| 2021-08-03 | S923159 | 0.455 ppm |
| 2021-09-03 | S1113069 | 0.472 ppm |
| 2021-10-08 | S923202 | ND |
| 2021-11-12 | S1073503 | 0.340 ppm |
| 2021-12-03 | S1073513 | 1.06 ppm |
| 2022-01-10 | S923190 | 0.336 ppm |
| 2022-01-21 | S1136809 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2022-02-08 | S1073790 | 0.582 ppm |
| 2022-03-09 | S1073517 | 0.803 ppm |
| 2022-04-07 | S1073797 | 0.791 ppm |
| 2022-05-06 | S1073567 | 0.474 ppm |
| 2022-06-10 | S1073568 | 0.421 ppm |
| 2022-07-01 | S1073549 | 0.510 ppm |
| 2022-08-12 | S1073535 | 0.382 ppm |
| 2022-09-02 | S923173 | 0.372 ppm |
| 2022-10-04 | S1223022 | 0.559 ppm |
| 2022-11-18 | S1073553 | 1.61 ppm |
| 2022-12-02 | S1073555 | 0.787 ppm |
| 2023-01-10 | S1223050 | 0.464 ppm |
| 2023-02-09 | S1223057 | 0.926 ppm |
| 2023-03-06 | S1223089 | 0.536 ppm |
| 2023-03-09 | S1257069 | 0.867 ppm |
| 2023-04-21 | S1223065 | 0.914 ppm |
| 2023-05-12 | S1223076 | 0.653 ppm |
| 2023-06-02 | S1223082 | 1.00 ppm |
| 2023-07-25 | S923117 | 1.60 ppm |
| 2023-08-18 | S1073894 | 7.55 ppm |
| 2023-09-22 | S1223101 | 1.85 ppm |
| 2023-10-06 | S1223068 | 0.516 ppm |
| 2023-11-22 | S1073902 | 1.84 ppm |
| 2023-12-21 | S1073858 | 0.815 ppm |