Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

Chrisman

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.

 

35

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

26

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.160 ppm110.160 ppm
20190.185 ppm11110.1000 ppm - 0.420 ppm
20200.226 ppm13130.1000 ppm - 0.350 ppm
20210.219 ppm990.0400 ppm - 0.400 ppm
20221.10 ppm111.10 ppm
20230.900 ppm110.900 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
2018-10-038101159-010.160 ppm
2019-01-299014520-010.170 ppm
2019-02-199023324-010.420 ppm
2019-03-059030715-010.1000 ppm
2019-04-159043510-010.140 ppm
2019-05-209054140-010.200 ppm
2019-06-129062530-010.210 ppm
2019-07-029070787-010.150 ppm
2019-08-159083592-010.250 ppm
2019-09-239094554-010.140 ppm
2019-10-179103985-010.150 ppm
2019-11-199113516-010.110 ppm
2020-01-230014338-020.190 ppm
2020-03-090031687-010.340 ppm
2020-04-010040480-010.280 ppm
2020-04-220044224-010.340 ppm
2020-05-050050867-010.140 ppm
2020-06-030061127-010.270 ppm
2020-07-210074482-010.330 ppm
2020-08-030080365-010.350 ppm
2020-09-150093457-010.120 ppm
2020-10-070101758-010.160 ppm
2020-11-040111114-010.160 ppm
2020-12-020120768-010.160 ppm
2020-12-040121170-010.1000 ppm
2021-01-12EA02046-010.280 ppm
2021-02-22EB03601-010.0400 ppm
2021-03-31ED00026-010.160 ppm
2021-04-12ED02349-010.180 ppm
2021-05-19EE03985-010.110 ppm
2021-06-07EF01438-010.250 ppm
2021-07-07EG01353-010.400 ppm
2021-08-18EH04143-010.270 ppm
2021-09-08EI01496-010.280 ppm
2022-12-22FL04292-011.10 ppm