Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

City of Alexandria Water System

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

156

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

19

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0294 ppm144ND - 0.170 ppm
20190.0418 ppm9040ND - 0.230 ppm
20200.139 ppm108ND - 0.400 ppm
20210.0500 ppm124ND - 0.200 ppm
20220.0471 ppm177ND - 0.200 ppm
20230.0154 ppm131ND - 0.200 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

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-05-0235389928001ND
2018-05-0235389928002ND
2018-05-0235389928003ND
2018-05-02353899280040.170 ppm
2018-05-02353899280050.0360 ppm
2018-05-0235389928006ND
2018-05-0235389928001ND
2018-05-0235389928002ND
2018-05-0235389928003ND
2018-05-02353899280040.170 ppm
2018-05-02353899280050.0360 ppm
2018-05-0235389928006ND
2018-11-1935432686002ND
2018-11-1935432686002ND
2019-01-30354454700010.0780 ppm
2019-01-30354454700020.0510 ppm
2019-01-30354454700030.0800 ppm
2019-01-30354454700040.0440 ppm
2019-01-30354454700050.0400 ppm
2019-01-30354454700010.0780 ppm
2019-01-30354454700020.0510 ppm
2019-01-30354454700030.0800 ppm
2019-01-30354454700040.0440 ppm
2019-01-30354454700050.0400 ppm
2019-02-06354469870010.0430 ppm
2019-02-06354469870020.0960 ppm
2019-02-06354469870030.0340 ppm
2019-02-06354469870040.0260 ppm
2019-02-06354469870050.0800 ppm
2019-02-06354469870010.0430 ppm
2019-02-06354469870020.0960 ppm
2019-02-06354469870030.0340 ppm
2019-02-06354469870040.0260 ppm
2019-02-06354469870050.0800 ppm
2019-02-2735451250001ND
2019-02-2735451250002ND
2019-02-2735451250003ND
2019-02-2735451250004ND
2019-02-2735451250005ND
2019-02-2735451250001ND
2019-02-2735451250002ND
2019-02-2735451250003ND
2019-02-2735451250004ND
2019-02-2735451250005ND
2019-03-13354546760010.230 ppm
2019-03-13354546760020.110 ppm
2019-03-13354546760030.0680 ppm
2019-03-1335454676004ND
2019-03-13354546760010.230 ppm
2019-03-13354546760020.110 ppm
2019-03-13354546760030.0680 ppm
2019-03-1335454676004ND
2019-03-2035456260001ND
2019-03-2035456260002ND
2019-03-20354562600030.0660 ppm
2019-03-20354562600040.0650 ppm
2019-03-20354562600050.200 ppm
2019-03-2035456260001ND
2019-03-2035456260002ND
2019-03-20354562600030.0660 ppm
2019-03-20354562600040.0650 ppm
2019-03-20354562600050.200 ppm
2019-03-27354576930010.230 ppm
2019-03-27354576930020.0520 ppm
2019-03-2735457693003ND
2019-03-2735457693004ND
2019-03-27354576930050.0860 ppm
2019-03-27354576930010.230 ppm
2019-03-27354576930020.0520 ppm
2019-03-2735457693003ND
2019-03-2735457693004ND
2019-03-27354576930050.0860 ppm
2019-04-1035461050001ND
2019-04-1035461050002ND
2019-04-1035461050003ND
2019-04-1035461050004ND
2019-04-1035461050005ND
2019-04-1035461050001ND
2019-04-1035461050002ND
2019-04-1035461050003ND
2019-04-1035461050004ND
2019-04-1035461050005ND
2019-06-06B1902352-001ND
2019-06-06B1902352-002ND
2019-06-06B1902352-003ND
2019-06-06B1902352-001ND
2019-06-06B1902352-002ND
2019-06-06B1902352-003ND
2019-07-25B1903186-001ND
2019-07-25B1903186-001ND
2019-09-11B1904050-001ND
2019-09-11B1904050-002ND
2019-09-11B1904050-001ND
2019-09-11B1904050-002ND
2019-12-04B1905453-001ND
2019-12-04B1905453-0020.200 ppm
2019-12-04B1905453-003ND
2019-12-04B1905453-004ND
2019-12-04B1905453-005ND
2019-12-04B1905453-001ND
2019-12-04B1905453-0020.200 ppm
2019-12-04B1905453-003ND
2019-12-04B1905453-004ND
2019-12-04B1905453-005ND
2020-03-26B2001556-0030.1000 ppm
2020-03-26B2001556-0040.200 ppm
2020-06-17B2002902-0030.400 ppm
2020-06-17B2002902-0040.200 ppm
2020-10-0535583286001ND
2020-10-05355832860020.0810 ppm
2020-10-05355832860030.0560 ppm
2020-10-05355832860040.150 ppm
2020-10-0535583286005ND
2020-11-09B2005987-0020.200 ppm
2021-01-26B2100374-0010.200 ppm
2021-01-26B2100376-002ND
2021-05-05B2102139-002ND
2021-08-10B2103808-002ND
2021-08-10B2103808-003ND
2021-10-01B2105317-001ND
2021-10-01B2105317-0020.1000 ppm
2021-10-01B2105317-0040.1000 ppm
2021-10-01B2105317-005ND
2021-10-01B2105317-007ND
2021-10-01B2105317-0080.200 ppm
2021-10-01B2105317-009ND
2022-01-04B2200014-0040.1000 ppm
2022-01-19B2200275-006ND
2022-02-02B2200523-006ND
2022-02-02B2200523-007ND
2022-02-02B2200523-008ND
2022-02-23B2200866-006ND
2022-03-09B2201054-005ND
2022-03-23B2201361-007ND
2022-03-24B2201361-006ND
2022-07-18B2203404-007ND
2022-07-18B2203404-0080.1000 ppm
2022-09-06B2204412-004ND
2022-09-06B2204412-0050.200 ppm
2022-09-06B2204412-0060.1000 ppm
2022-09-06B2204412-0070.1000 ppm
2022-09-13B2204412-0030.1000 ppm
2022-11-30B2205669-0030.1000 ppm
2023-02-06B2300579-003ND
2023-05-30B2302282-004ND
2023-05-30B2302282-005ND
2023-05-30B2302282-006ND
2023-05-30B2302282-007ND
2023-05-30B2302282-008ND
2023-05-30B2302282-009ND
2023-07-31B2303129-004ND
2023-07-31B2303129-0050.200 ppm
2023-07-31B2303129-006ND
2023-11-27B2305075-004ND
2023-11-27B2305075-005ND
2023-12-19B2305384-001ND