Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

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Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND30ND
20220.235 ppm220.230 ppm - 0.240 ppm
20230.235 ppm220.230 ppm - 0.240 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

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-12AK00896ND
2018-09-12AK00897ND
2019-08-21AK27413ND
2019-08-21AK27414ND
2020-08-27AK56635ND
2020-08-27AK56639ND
2020-10-07AK62061ND
2021-07-06AK78888ND
2021-07-06AK78889ND
2021-07-06AK78890ND
2022-08-11AL095540.240 ppm
2022-08-11AL095550.230 ppm
2023-07-18AL371140.240 ppm
2023-07-18AL371150.230 ppm