Nitrate

Maroa

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	0.454 ppm	1	1	0.454 ppm
2015	0.289 ppm	1	1	0.289 ppm
2016	0.531 ppm	4	4	0.440 ppm - 0.652 ppm
2017	0.609 ppm	3	3	0.463 ppm - 0.707 ppm
2018	0.700 ppm	4	4	0.447 ppm - 0.910 ppm
2019	0.596 ppm	4	4	0.492 ppm - 0.660 ppm

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
2014-01-15	SA40277-01_01	0.454 ppm
2015-01-20	SA50440-01_01	0.289 ppm
2016-01-12	16A0305-01_01	0.652 ppm
2016-04-26	16D0629-01_01	0.520 ppm
2016-08-16	16H0787-01_01	0.510 ppm
2016-10-31	16K0001-01_01	0.440 ppm
2017-01-17	17A0481-01_01	0.463 ppm
2017-04-19	17D0571-01_01	0.707 ppm
2017-07-31	17H0016-01_01	0.657 ppm
2018-01-17	18A0335-01_01	0.571 ppm
2018-05-17	18E0771-01	0.870 ppm
2018-08-06	18H0281-01	0.910 ppm
2018-11-13	18K0354-01_01	0.447 ppm
2019-01-16	19A0392-01_01	0.492 ppm
2019-05-06	19E0142-01	0.660 ppm
2019-08-06	19H0178-01	0.580 ppm
2019-11-21	19K0605-01	0.650 ppm