Nitrate
Northern Kentucky Water District
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 | 0.752 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.565 ppm - 0.911 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.448 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.226 ppm - 0.555 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.486 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.0730 ppm - 0.633 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.621 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.348 ppm - 0.824 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.727 ppm | 5 | 5 | 0.606 ppm - 0.788 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.642 ppm | 6 | 6 | 0.323 ppm - 0.975 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-05-01 | 04301430C | 0.911 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 04301434C | 0.565 ppm |
| 2014-05-01 | 04301412C | 0.812 ppm |
| 2014-10-22 | 10211416C | 0.736 ppm |
| 2014-10-22 | 10211426C | 0.738 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | 05121529C | 0.226 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | 05121525C | 0.496 ppm |
| 2015-05-12 | 05121507C | 0.555 ppm |
| 2015-10-07 | 10061546C | 0.471 ppm |
| 2015-10-07 | 10061528C | 0.494 ppm |
| 2016-05-11 | 05091635C | 0.570 ppm |
| 2016-05-11 | 05091617C | 0.633 ppm |
| 2016-10-19 | 10181629C | 0.0730 ppm |
| 2016-10-19 | 10181626C | 0.540 ppm |
| 2016-10-19 | 10181616C | 0.615 ppm |
| 2017-04-19 | 04181724C | 0.348 ppm |
| 2017-04-19 | 04181721C | 0.692 ppm |
| 2017-04-19 | 04181711C | 0.824 ppm |
| 2018-04-25 | 04241801C | 0.755 ppm |
| 2018-04-25 | 04241811C | 0.788 ppm |
| 2018-08-30 | 08291827C | 0.768 ppm |
| 2018-10-24 | 10241801C | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-10-24 | 10241811C | 0.606 ppm |
| 2019-04-03 | 04021928C | 0.975 ppm |
| 2019-04-03 | 04021946C | 0.583 ppm |
| 2019-04-03 | 04021950C | 0.478 ppm |
| 2019-10-23 | 10231905C | 0.800 ppm |
| 2019-10-23 | 10231915C | 0.694 ppm |
| 2019-10-23 | 10231918C | 0.323 ppm |