Nitrate

Plummer, City of

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	ND	4	0	ND
2015	0.0500 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.200 ppm
2016	ND	5	0	ND
2017	ND	4	0	ND
2018	0.0350 ppm	6	2	ND - 0.110 ppm
2019	ND	6	0	ND

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	Lab ID	Result
2014-06-18	N151588	ND
2014-06-18	N151587	ND
2014-06-18	N151586	ND
2014-06-18	N151585	ND
2015-07-29	NW5G0635	0.200 ppm
2015-09-23	N164970	ND
2015-09-23	N164969	ND
2015-09-23	N164968	ND
2016-05-17	I171090	ND
2016-09-13	I175388	ND
2016-11-15	I177606	ND
2016-11-29	I177897	ND
2016-12-21	I178539	ND
2017-12-13	N189293	ND
2017-12-13	N189292	ND
2017-12-13	N189291	ND
2017-12-13	N189290	ND
2018-02-06	N190534	ND
2018-09-25	N197918	ND
2018-09-25	N197917	0.1000 ppm
2018-09-25	N197916	0.110 ppm
2018-09-25	N197915	ND
2018-09-25	N197914	ND
2019-05-07	I203661	ND
2019-09-27	I209440	ND
2019-11-26	I211369	ND
2019-11-26	I211372	ND
2019-11-26	I211371	ND
2019-11-26	I211370	ND