Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

American Falls, 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.

 

48

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

38

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20183.34 ppm98ND - 8.26 ppm
20193.99 ppm881.09 ppm - 7.58 ppm
20203.40 ppm96ND - 7.21 ppm
20212.37 ppm64ND - 7.55 ppm
20222.50 ppm75ND - 6.01 ppm
20233.28 ppm97ND - 6.17 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
2018-03-29NI803246018.26 ppm
2018-06-25NI806295016.15 ppm
2018-09-24NI809237025.30 ppm
2018-10-10NI810112012.32 ppm
2018-10-22NI810212021.93 ppm
2018-10-22NI810212033.34 ppm
2018-10-22NI810212041.43 ppm
2018-10-23NI81021205ND
2018-10-23II810212011.30 ppm
2019-03-25NI903166027.21 ppm
2019-04-01NI904003027.58 ppm
2019-05-07II905059011.09 ppm
2019-06-11II906148011.60 ppm
2019-07-08NI907062026.32 ppm
2019-10-01II910014013.78 ppm
2019-10-21II910197011.31 ppm
2019-10-21NI910197023.06 ppm
2020-02-10NI002039016.73 ppm
2020-04-28NI00419701ND
2020-05-04II00501401ND
2020-05-12NI005087013.20 ppm
2020-06-18N00625801I6.75 ppm
2020-07-06NI00703804ND
2020-07-06NI007038025.68 ppm
2020-07-06NI007038031.07 ppm
2020-11-04NI011036017.21 ppm
2021-04-05NI104025017.55 ppm
2021-04-12NI104093011.14 ppm
2021-04-26NI104208014.08 ppm
2021-05-03NI10500701ND
2021-05-10NI10508501ND
2021-05-10NI105085021.44 ppm
2022-03-23II20319401ND
2022-06-20II206302015.48 ppm
2022-07-05II207015011.15 ppm
2022-08-25II20831001ND
2022-09-12II209102011.62 ppm
2022-09-14II209147013.21 ppm
2022-10-03NI210009016.01 ppm
2023-02-06NI302035015.14 ppm
2023-04-03NI30401101ND
2023-04-03NI304011026.14 ppm
2023-04-03NI304011031.61 ppm
2023-06-07II30609801ND
2023-06-15NI306273013.06 ppm
2023-06-28NI306471011.37 ppm
2023-07-06NI307048015.99 ppm
2023-10-03NI310025016.17 ppm