Nitrate

Elmdale, 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.

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	0.150 ppm	1	1	0.150 ppm
2015	0.0875 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.210 ppm
2016	0.0950 ppm	4	2	ND - 0.260 ppm
2017	0.0725 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.290 ppm
2018	0.227 ppm	3	3	0.160 ppm - 0.300 ppm
2019	0.125 ppm	2	1	ND - 0.250 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
2014-12-29	252043	0.150 ppm
2015-02-09	276165	ND
2015-03-10	293383	0.140 ppm
2015-07-06	361245	0.210 ppm
2015-11-02	422117	ND
2016-01-11	474368	0.120 ppm
2016-03-14	508838	0.260 ppm
2016-04-18	529600	ND
2016-07-11	580409	ND
2017-03-01	715350	0.290 ppm
2017-03-27	729718	ND
2017-07-05	789788	ND
2017-08-07	814144	ND
2018-02-13	908451	0.220 ppm
2018-04-04	938517	0.300 ppm
2018-07-17	1007462	0.160 ppm
2019-03-12	1135089	0.250 ppm
2019-07-29	1212064	ND