Nitrate

Palm Beach County Water Utilities

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

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	0.0300 ppm	4	3	ND - 0.0500 ppm
2015	0.0960 ppm	4	4	0.0250 ppm - 0.282 ppm
2016	0.0375 ppm	4	3	ND - 0.0620 ppm
2017	0.0303 ppm	4	3	ND - 0.0460 ppm
2018	0.151 ppm	4	3	ND - 0.530 ppm
2019	0.200 ppm	4	4	0.0300 ppm - 0.680 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	Result
2014-05-15	0.0400 ppm
2014-05-20	0.0500 ppm
2014-05-22	ND
2014-05-29	0.0300 ppm
2015-06-16	0.282 ppm
2015-06-16	0.0250 ppm
2015-06-17	0.0360 ppm
2015-06-22	0.0410 ppm
2016-05-04	0.0620 ppm
2016-05-11	0.0510 ppm
2016-05-17	0.0370 ppm
2016-05-24	ND
2017-05-03	0.0340 ppm
2017-05-10	0.0460 ppm
2017-05-17	0.0410 ppm
2017-05-30	ND
2018-08-13	0.0420 ppm
2018-08-13	ND
2018-08-13	0.0310 ppm
2018-08-13	0.530 ppm
2019-05-20	0.0300 ppm
2019-05-20	0.0420 ppm
2019-05-20	0.0490 ppm
2019-05-21	0.680 ppm