Nitrate

West Boylston 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.

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	0.647 ppm	3	3	0.270 ppm - 0.860 ppm
2015	0.670 ppm	3	3	0.270 ppm - 1.000 ppm
2016	0.640 ppm	3	3	0.280 ppm - 0.850 ppm
2017	0.577 ppm	3	3	0.220 ppm - 0.790 ppm
2018	0.497 ppm	6	5	ND - 0.770 ppm
2019	0.0767 ppm	3	2	ND - 0.120 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	Result
2014-05-13	0.810 ppm
2014-05-13	0.270 ppm
2014-05-27	0.860 ppm
2015-05-13	0.740 ppm
2015-05-13	1.000 ppm
2015-05-13	0.270 ppm
2016-04-12	0.280 ppm
2016-04-12	0.850 ppm
2016-04-12	0.790 ppm
2017-05-15	0.790 ppm
2017-05-15	0.720 ppm
2017-05-15	0.220 ppm
2018-05-25	0.540 ppm
2018-05-25	0.770 ppm
2018-05-25	ND
2018-06-05	0.740 ppm
2018-06-05	0.710 ppm
2018-06-05	0.220 ppm
2019-05-16	0.120 ppm
2019-05-16	0.110 ppm
2019-05-16	ND