Nitrate
Buffumville Heights Estates Condominium
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.424 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.246 ppm - 0.636 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.304 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.220 ppm - 0.400 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.139 ppm | 3 | 2 | ND - 0.265 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.245 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.161 ppm - 0.292 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.195 ppm | 3 | 2 | ND - 0.362 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.229 ppm | 3 | 2 | ND - 0.351 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
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 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2018-04-23 | 0.636 ppm |
| 2018-04-23 | 0.246 ppm |
| 2018-04-23 | 0.391 ppm |
| 2019-04-15 | 0.292 ppm |
| 2019-04-15 | 0.400 ppm |
| 2019-04-15 | 0.220 ppm |
| 2020-05-18 | 0.152 ppm |
| 2020-05-18 | ND |
| 2020-05-18 | 0.265 ppm |
| 2021-04-19 | 0.292 ppm |
| 2021-04-19 | 0.283 ppm |
| 2021-04-19 | 0.161 ppm |
| 2022-04-13 | 0.362 ppm |
| 2022-04-13 | 0.224 ppm |
| 2022-04-13 | ND |
| 2023-04-11 | 0.351 ppm |
| 2023-04-11 | ND |
| 2023-04-11 | 0.336 ppm |