Nitrate
Hammond
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.
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 | 0.513 ppm | 15 | 15 | 0.143 ppm - 0.754 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.418 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.163 ppm - 0.726 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.357 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.164 ppm - 0.590 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.381 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.218 ppm - 0.630 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.355 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.180 ppm - 1.07 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.351 ppm | 25 | 25 | 0.180 ppm - 0.640 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-14 | SA40159-01_01 | 0.176 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | SA40159-02_01 | 0.442 ppm |
| 2014-02-12 | SB40259-01_01 | 0.464 ppm |
| 2014-03-04 | SC40057-01_01 | 0.508 ppm |
| 2014-04-08 | SD40263-01_01 | 0.649 ppm |
| 2014-05-14 | SE40681-01_01 | 0.569 ppm |
| 2014-06-04 | SF40207-01_01 | 0.377 ppm |
| 2014-06-06 | SF40367-01_01 | 0.143 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | SF40490-01_01 | 0.742 ppm |
| 2014-07-15 | SG40841-02_01 | 0.488 ppm |
| 2014-08-12 | SH40809-02_01 | 0.754 ppm |
| 2014-09-09 | SI40431-02_01 | 0.671 ppm |
| 2014-10-14 | SJ40706-02_01 | 0.747 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | SK40051-02_01 | 0.473 ppm |
| 2014-12-09 | SL40300-02_01 | 0.498 ppm |
| 2015-01-20 | SA50441-02_01 | 0.506 ppm |
| 2015-02-10 | SB50227-02_01 | 0.666 ppm |
| 2015-03-10 | SC50231-02_01 | 0.254 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | SD50196-02_01 | 0.163 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | SD50196-01_01 | 0.196 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | SE50444-02_01 | 0.212 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | SF50160-02_01 | 0.410 ppm |
| 2015-07-14 | SG50774-02_01 | 0.453 ppm |
| 2015-08-11 | SH50641-02_01 | 0.726 ppm |
| 2015-09-15 | SI50679-02_01 | 0.309 ppm |
| 2015-10-06 | SJ50259-01_01 | 0.725 ppm |
| 2015-11-17 | SK50588-01_01 | 0.455 ppm |
| 2015-12-08 | SL50250-01_01 | 0.363 ppm |
| 2016-01-12 | 16A0309-02_01 | 0.582 ppm |
| 2016-01-12 | 16A0309-01_01 | 0.164 ppm |
| 2016-02-09 | 16B0341-02_01 | 0.351 ppm |
| 2016-03-08 | 16C0240-02_01 | 0.354 ppm |
| 2016-04-12 | 16D0260-02_01 | 0.242 ppm |
| 2016-05-10 | 16E0365-02_01 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2016-06-21 | 16F0995-02_01 | 0.294 ppm |
| 2016-07-12 | 16G0384-02_01 | 0.239 ppm |
| 2016-08-16 | 16H0792-02_01 | 0.313 ppm |
| 2016-09-13 | 16I0461-02_01 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2016-10-19 | 16J0776-02_01 | 0.414 ppm |
| 2016-11-08 | 16K0232-02_01 | 0.252 ppm |
| 2016-12-06 | 16L0136-02_01 | 0.313 ppm |
| 2017-01-17 | 17A0478-02_01 | 0.297 ppm |
| 2017-02-07 | 17B0145-02_01 | 0.369 ppm |
| 2017-03-07 | 17C0197-02_01 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2017-04-11 | 17D0352-02_01 | 0.320 ppm |
| 2017-05-16 | 17E0632-02_01 | 0.309 ppm |
| 2017-06-20 | 17F0910-02_01 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2017-07-25 | 17G1039-01_01 | 0.395 ppm |
| 2017-08-15 | 17H0931-02_01 | 0.363 ppm |
| 2017-09-12 | 17I0302-02_01 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2017-10-10 | 17J0317-01_01 | 0.218 ppm |
| 2017-10-10 | 17J0317-02_01 | 0.376 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 17K0193-02_01 | 0.411 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 17L0088-02_01 | 0.420 ppm |
| 2018-01-09 | 18A0124-01_01 | 0.191 ppm |
| 2018-02-13 | 18B0304-01_01 | 0.274 ppm |
| 2018-02-13 | 18B0305-01_01 | 0.280 ppm |
| 2018-03-06 | 18C0140-01_01 | 0.233 ppm |
| 2018-03-06 | 18C0140-02_01 | 0.280 ppm |
| 2018-04-10 | 18D0235-01_01 | 0.380 ppm |
| 2018-04-10 | 18D0235-02_01 | 0.237 ppm |
| 2018-04-10 | 18D0235-03_01 | 0.252 ppm |
| 2018-05-15 | 18E0644-01_01 | 0.470 ppm |
| 2018-05-15 | 18E0644-02_01 | 0.280 ppm |
| 2018-06-05 | 18F0170-01 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2018-06-05 | 18F0170-02 | 0.250 ppm |
| 2018-07-10 | 18G0289-01 | 0.280 ppm |
| 2018-07-10 | 18G0293-01 | 0.270 ppm |
| 2018-07-10 | 18G0293-02 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2018-08-14 | 18H0730-01_01 | 0.180 ppm |
| 2018-08-14 | 18H0730-02_01 | 0.498 ppm |
| 2018-09-11 | 18I0334-01 | 0.240 ppm |
| 2018-09-11 | 18I0334-02 | 0.410 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 18J0536-01_01 | 1.07 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 18J0536-02_01 | 0.292 ppm |
| 2018-10-16 | 18J0536-03_01 | 0.299 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 18K0149-01_01 | 0.279 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 18K0149-02_01 | 0.429 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 18L0079-01_01 | 0.331 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 18L0079-02_01 | 0.504 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 19A0130-01_01 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 19A0131-01_01 | 0.340 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 19A0135-01_01 | 0.243 ppm |
| 2019-02-12 | 19B0217-01 | 0.260 ppm |
| 2019-02-12 | 19B0217-02 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 19C0097-01 | 0.180 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 19C0097-02 | 0.350 ppm |
| 2019-04-16 | 19D0375-01 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2019-04-16 | 19D0375-02 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2019-04-16 | 19D0375-03 | 0.360 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | 19E0710-01 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-05-21 | 19E0710-02 | 0.560 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 19F0316-01 | 0.320 ppm |
| 2019-06-11 | 19F0316-02 | 0.250 ppm |
| 2019-07-22 | 19G0692-01 | 0.270 ppm |
| 2019-07-22 | 19G0692-02 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | 19H0246-01 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | 19H0246-02 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | 19H0246-03 | 0.300 ppm |
| 2019-09-10 | 19I0359-01 | 0.230 ppm |
| 2019-09-10 | 19I0359-02 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2019-10-08 | 19J0372-01 | 0.240 ppm |
| 2019-10-08 | 19J0372-02 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 19K0315-01 | 0.260 ppm |
| 2019-11-12 | 19K0315-02 | 0.600 ppm |