Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Lima

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.

 

291

Samples

15

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

217

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20182.99 ppm2521ND - 10.00 ppm
20195.02 ppm7876ND - 13.0 ppm
20202.70 ppm5045ND - 6.80 ppm
20212.80 ppm5039ND - 6.40 ppm
20222.73 ppm5039ND - 6.90 ppm
20232.52 ppm38380.0600 ppm - 5.70 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
2018-01-228013393-012.70 ppm
2018-01-228013393-02ND
2018-02-078021243-010.750 ppm
2018-02-078021243-02ND
2018-03-138032335-013.60 ppm
2018-03-138032335-023.80 ppm
2018-04-168042946-017.50 ppm
2018-04-168042946-021.20 ppm
2018-05-038051007-019.00 ppm
2018-05-038051007-020.0500 ppm
2018-06-138062625-017.60 ppm
2018-06-138062625-025.60 ppm
2018-07-238074333-0110.00 ppm
2018-08-228084586-010.0400 ppm
2018-08-228084586-02ND
2018-09-108091578-014.10 ppm
2018-09-108091578-02ND
2018-09-268095536-017.00 ppm
2018-09-268095536-020.170 ppm
2018-10-178103740-010.360 ppm
2018-10-178103740-020.120 ppm
2018-11-088111867-016.50 ppm
2018-11-088111867-020.160 ppm
2018-12-268124259-014.30 ppm
2018-12-268124259-020.200 ppm
2019-01-309014615-017.40 ppm
2019-01-309014615-020.160 ppm
2019-02-189023058-016.90 ppm
2019-02-189023058-020.120 ppm
2019-03-119031663-018.10 ppm
2019-03-119031663-020.0800 ppm
2019-04-019040286-010.170 ppm
2019-04-019040286-020.170 ppm
2019-05-019050420-017.60 ppm
2019-05-019050420-020.200 ppm
2019-05-089052110-011.000 ppm
2019-05-149053270-010.230 ppm
2019-05-149053270-034.80 ppm
2019-05-239054863-0713.0 ppm
2019-05-239054863-0813.0 ppm
2019-05-239055236-0111.0 ppm
2019-05-239055236-027.80 ppm
2019-05-239055236-038.10 ppm
2019-05-249055236-0410.00 ppm
2019-05-249055236-0513.0 ppm
2019-05-249055236-0613.0 ppm
2019-05-259055236-0713.0 ppm
2019-05-259055236-0813.0 ppm
2019-05-259055236-0913.0 ppm
2019-05-289055736-0113.0 ppm
2019-05-289055736-0213.0 ppm
2019-05-289055736-0313.0 ppm
2019-05-299055736-0413.0 ppm
2019-05-299055736-0513.0 ppm
2019-05-299055736-0613.0 ppm
2019-06-059061143-010.250 ppm
2019-06-059061143-033.30 ppm
2019-06-199063819-016.70 ppm
2019-06-199063819-020.120 ppm
2019-06-269065194-017.50 ppm
2019-06-269065194-020.200 ppm
2019-07-019070357-010.140 ppm
2019-07-019070357-037.30 ppm
2019-07-109072286-016.10 ppm
2019-07-109072286-020.240 ppm
2019-07-179073913-017.40 ppm
2019-07-179073913-020.200 ppm
2019-07-239074900-0111.0 ppm
2019-07-239074900-020.200 ppm
2019-07-309075997-020.230 ppm
2019-07-309075997-035.80 ppm
2019-08-079081668-015.20 ppm
2019-08-079081668-020.250 ppm
2019-08-199084130-015.40 ppm
2019-08-199084130-020.200 ppm
2019-08-279085778-020.220 ppm
2019-08-279085778-035.50 ppm
2019-09-039090389-010.160 ppm
2019-09-039090389-036.00 ppm
2019-09-099091504-010.120 ppm
2019-09-099091504-035.00 ppm
2019-09-169093090-016.50 ppm
2019-09-169093090-020.230 ppm
2019-09-239094484-014.90 ppm
2019-09-239094484-020.200 ppm
2019-10-029100827-010.200 ppm
2019-10-029100827-035.90 ppm
2019-10-099102376-015.70 ppm
2019-10-099102376-020.190 ppm
2019-10-169103726-015.70 ppm
2019-10-169103726-02ND
2019-10-229104628-015.20 ppm
2019-10-229104628-02ND
2019-10-299105760-015.00 ppm
2019-10-299105760-020.0400 ppm
2019-11-129112014-015.50 ppm
2019-11-129112014-020.0400 ppm
2019-11-259114509-017.00 ppm
2019-11-259114509-020.1000 ppm
2019-12-189123898-016.80 ppm
2019-12-189123898-020.220 ppm
2019-12-309124855-010.200 ppm
2019-12-309124855-034.50 ppm
2020-01-080011600-015.20 ppm
2020-01-080011600-020.280 ppm
2020-01-210013826-010.120 ppm
2020-01-210013826-034.80 ppm
2020-02-040020760-014.70 ppm
2020-02-040020760-020.0900 ppm
2020-02-190023459-016.30 ppm
2020-02-190023459-020.120 ppm
2020-03-020030285-014.80 ppm
2020-03-020030285-02ND
2020-03-230034069-016.40 ppm
2020-03-230034069-020.220 ppm
2020-04-090042212-014.30 ppm
2020-04-090042212-020.210 ppm
2020-04-270044848-016.50 ppm
2020-04-270044848-020.210 ppm
2020-05-140052863-010.210 ppm
2020-05-140052863-020.200 ppm
2020-06-040061361-015.60 ppm
2020-06-040061361-020.140 ppm
2020-06-160063588-01ND
2020-06-160063588-035.70 ppm
2020-06-300070131-014.60 ppm
2020-06-300070131-02ND
2020-07-140072862-014.50 ppm
2020-07-140072862-020.0500 ppm
2020-07-280075960-010.180 ppm
2020-07-280075960-033.70 ppm
2020-08-130083310-010.150 ppm
2020-08-130083310-035.60 ppm
2020-08-270086024-010.270 ppm
2020-08-270086024-035.30 ppm
2020-09-090092196-010.240 ppm
2020-09-090092196-036.20 ppm
2020-09-210094612-016.20 ppm
2020-09-210094612-020.0800 ppm
2020-10-070101739-016.70 ppm
2020-10-070101739-020.0400 ppm
2020-10-190103769-01ND
2020-10-190103769-035.10 ppm
2020-11-020110318-015.60 ppm
2020-11-020110318-020.0500 ppm
2020-11-160112998-015.70 ppm
2020-11-160112998-02ND
2020-12-010120411-016.10 ppm
2020-12-010120411-020.0600 ppm
2020-12-170123655-020.310 ppm
2020-12-170123655-036.80 ppm
2020-12-280124531-015.30 ppm
2020-12-280124531-020.240 ppm
2021-01-11EA01701-015.40 ppm
2021-01-11EA01701-020.130 ppm
2021-01-28EA04765-015.40 ppm
2021-01-28EA04765-020.240 ppm
2021-02-10EB02222-014.00 ppm
2021-02-10EB02222-020.220 ppm
2021-02-22EB03592-015.10 ppm
2021-02-22EB03592-020.200 ppm
2021-03-08EC01664-014.50 ppm
2021-03-08EC01664-020.220 ppm
2021-03-22EC04198-014.90 ppm
2021-03-22EC04198-020.0900 ppm
2021-04-06ED01063-014.70 ppm
2021-04-06ED01063-020.0900 ppm
2021-04-21ED04315-015.00 ppm
2021-04-21ED04315-020.0900 ppm
2021-05-06EE01425-015.20 ppm
2021-05-06EE01425-020.0600 ppm
2021-05-17EE03421-014.20 ppm
2021-06-01EF00438-016.10 ppm
2021-06-01EF00438-02ND
2021-06-16EF03619-016.40 ppm
2021-06-23EF04942-015.40 ppm
2021-06-23EF04942-020.0600 ppm
2021-07-08EG01694-015.30 ppm
2021-07-08EG01694-02ND
2021-07-19EG03802-015.70 ppm
2021-07-19EG03802-020.0400 ppm
2021-08-02EH00550-015.50 ppm
2021-08-02EH00550-02ND
2021-08-17EH03978-015.80 ppm
2021-08-17EH03978-02ND
2021-09-01EI00450-01ND
2021-09-01EI00450-035.30 ppm
2021-09-15EI03178-016.00 ppm
2021-09-15EI03178-02ND
2021-09-29EI05645-016.30 ppm
2021-09-29EI05645-02ND
2021-10-11EJ02177-015.90 ppm
2021-10-11EJ02177-020.0300 ppm
2021-10-25EJ04810-015.60 ppm
2021-10-25EJ04810-020.0400 ppm
2021-11-11EK02750-035.20 ppm
2021-11-15EK03183-01ND
2021-11-23EK04741-015.30 ppm
2021-11-23EK04741-02ND
2021-12-08EL02013-015.50 ppm
2021-12-08EL02013-02ND
2021-12-21EL04271-015.00 ppm
2021-12-21EL04271-02ND
2022-01-05FA01053-015.60 ppm
2022-01-05FA01053-020.0500 ppm
2022-01-19FA03676-015.20 ppm
2022-01-19FA03676-02ND
2022-02-01FB00452-015.50 ppm
2022-02-01FB00452-020.0400 ppm
2022-02-14FB02636-014.90 ppm
2022-02-14FB02636-020.0300 ppm
2022-03-01FC00420-01ND
2022-03-01FC00420-035.30 ppm
2022-03-14FC02689-015.20 ppm
2022-03-14FC02689-02ND
2022-03-29FC05148-015.20 ppm
2022-03-29FC05148-02ND
2022-04-11FD01955-015.30 ppm
2022-04-11FD01955-020.170 ppm
2022-04-25FD04440-015.10 ppm
2022-04-25FD04440-02ND
2022-05-10FE02315-014.70 ppm
2022-05-10FE02315-02ND
2022-05-24FE04850-015.40 ppm
2022-05-24FE04850-020.210 ppm
2022-06-07FF01644-014.30 ppm
2022-06-07FF01644-02ND
2022-06-21FF04256-016.20 ppm
2022-06-21FF04256-02ND
2022-07-06FG01019-015.50 ppm
2022-07-06FG01019-02ND
2022-07-19FG03657-015.70 ppm
2022-07-19FG03657-020.0600 ppm
2022-08-02FH00691-016.50 ppm
2022-08-02FH00691-02ND
2022-08-15FH03281-016.00 ppm
2022-08-15FH03281-020.0500 ppm
2022-09-12FI02259-015.00 ppm
2022-09-12FI02259-02ND
2022-09-26FI05016-015.80 ppm
2022-09-26FI05016-020.120 ppm
2022-10-13FJ02772-015.70 ppm
2022-10-13FJ02772-020.240 ppm
2022-10-25FJ04638-016.90 ppm
2022-10-25FJ04638-020.210 ppm
2022-11-09FK02197-015.10 ppm
2022-11-09FK02197-020.180 ppm
2022-11-22FK04383-010.240 ppm
2022-11-22FK04383-035.00 ppm
2022-12-06FL01202-014.50 ppm
2022-12-06FL01202-020.220 ppm
2022-12-21FL04376-014.80 ppm
2022-12-21FL04376-020.230 ppm
2023-01-03GA00430-010.250 ppm
2023-01-03GA00430-034.60 ppm
2023-01-17GA03017-014.70 ppm
2023-01-17GA03017-020.210 ppm
2023-02-08GB01743-010.210 ppm
2023-02-08GB01743-034.70 ppm
2023-03-06GC01064-014.20 ppm
2023-03-06GC01064-020.250 ppm
2023-03-21GC03818-014.60 ppm
2023-03-21GC03818-020.250 ppm
2023-04-03GD00481-015.20 ppm
2023-04-03GD00481-020.260 ppm
2023-04-19GD03536-014.70 ppm
2023-04-19GD03536-020.260 ppm
2023-05-01GE00297-010.260 ppm
2023-05-01GE00297-035.10 ppm
2023-05-17GE03669-015.50 ppm
2023-05-17GE03669-020.170 ppm
2023-06-01GF00295-015.70 ppm
2023-06-01GF00295-020.130 ppm
2023-06-15GF03131-010.170 ppm
2023-06-15GF03131-034.60 ppm
2023-06-28GF05181-014.10 ppm
2023-06-28GF05181-020.0800 ppm
2023-07-11GG01680-015.60 ppm
2023-07-11GG01680-020.120 ppm
2023-07-27GG05026-010.0600 ppm
2023-07-27GG05026-034.60 ppm
2023-08-08GH02084-015.50 ppm
2023-08-08GH02084-020.180 ppm
2023-08-22GH04740-014.40 ppm
2023-08-22GH04740-020.150 ppm
2023-09-07GI01299-014.70 ppm
2023-09-07GI01299-020.120 ppm
2023-09-19GI03367-015.00 ppm
2023-09-19GI03367-020.250 ppm
2023-10-10GJ02138-010.0700 ppm
2023-10-10GJ02138-034.80 ppm