Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrate

Wilmington Water Department

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

 

98

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

34

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014N/A00N/A
2015ND200ND
20160.162 ppm203ND - 1.13 ppm
2017ND200ND
20180.364 ppm1917ND - 0.946 ppm
20190.460 ppm19190.01000 ppm - 2.31 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
2015-08-19ND
2015-08-19ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-02ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-09ND
2015-09-29ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-01ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-081.05 ppm
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-081.13 ppm
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-081.05 ppm
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2016-09-08ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2017-08-31ND
2018-07-110.167 ppm
2018-07-110.481 ppm
2018-07-110.513 ppm
2018-07-110.512 ppm
2018-07-110.400 ppm
2018-07-110.506 ppm
2018-07-110.131 ppm
2018-07-110.0832 ppm
2018-07-110.303 ppm
2018-07-110.441 ppm
2018-07-110.425 ppm
2018-07-110.245 ppm
2018-07-110.509 ppm
2018-07-110.678 ppm
2018-07-180.311 ppm
2018-07-180.946 ppm
2018-07-180.262 ppm
2018-07-18ND
2018-07-18ND
2019-07-100.250 ppm
2019-07-100.410 ppm
2019-07-100.580 ppm
2019-07-100.490 ppm
2019-07-100.540 ppm
2019-07-100.480 ppm
2019-07-100.480 ppm
2019-07-100.440 ppm
2019-07-100.760 ppm
2019-07-100.330 ppm
2019-07-100.110 ppm
2019-07-100.410 ppm
2019-07-100.230 ppm
2019-07-100.220 ppm
2019-08-060.0800 ppm
2019-08-060.340 ppm
2019-08-060.01000 ppm
2019-08-062.31 ppm
2019-08-060.270 ppm