Nitrate

Yarmouth 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

165

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

164

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	2.61 ppm	27	26	ND - 5.70 ppm
2015	2.79 ppm	29	29	0.180 ppm - 6.10 ppm
2016	2.05 ppm	22	22	0.320 ppm - 7.50 ppm
2017	2.73 ppm	29	29	0.170 ppm - 6.20 ppm
2018	2.79 ppm	26	26	0.310 ppm - 6.30 ppm
2019	2.08 ppm	32	32	0.260 ppm - 5.50 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
2014-02-26	5.50 ppm
2014-02-26	4.20 ppm
2014-02-26	1.50 ppm
2014-02-26	1.90 ppm
2014-02-26	2.60 ppm
2014-02-26	1.90 ppm
2014-03-10	1.50 ppm
2014-03-10	0.870 ppm
2014-03-10	0.220 ppm
2014-03-10	ND
2014-03-10	0.400 ppm
2014-03-10	0.270 ppm
2014-03-10	0.430 ppm
2014-05-22	3.90 ppm
2014-06-09	1.40 ppm
2014-06-09	5.20 ppm
2014-06-09	4.00 ppm
2014-06-30	2.20 ppm
2014-09-09	1.90 ppm
2014-09-09	2.90 ppm
2014-09-09	5.70 ppm
2014-09-09	4.30 ppm
2014-10-06	1.50 ppm
2014-10-06	5.50 ppm
2014-10-06	3.10 ppm
2014-10-06	4.10 ppm
2014-11-18	3.40 ppm
2015-03-16	5.40 ppm
2015-03-16	2.90 ppm
2015-03-16	5.00 ppm
2015-03-16	2.20 ppm
2015-03-17	1.50 ppm
2015-03-17	1.10 ppm
2015-03-17	0.220 ppm
2015-03-17	0.400 ppm
2015-03-17	0.590 ppm
2015-03-17	0.240 ppm
2015-03-17	0.580 ppm
2015-03-17	1.000 ppm
2015-05-20	1.80 ppm
2015-05-20	5.90 ppm
2015-05-20	4.70 ppm
2015-06-04	3.40 ppm
2015-06-11	2.40 ppm
2015-06-11	0.180 ppm
2015-06-11	1.60 ppm
2015-06-11	2.60 ppm
2015-09-14	3.40 ppm
2015-09-14	4.60 ppm
2015-09-15	5.40 ppm
2015-09-17	1.10 ppm
2015-12-08	1.70 ppm
2015-12-08	3.50 ppm
2015-12-08	5.90 ppm
2015-12-09	5.40 ppm
2015-12-17	6.10 ppm
2016-03-08	2.60 ppm
2016-03-08	2.60 ppm
2016-03-08	1.40 ppm
2016-03-08	2.10 ppm
2016-03-08	1.60 ppm
2016-03-09	1.10 ppm
2016-03-09	0.430 ppm
2016-03-09	0.870 ppm
2016-03-09	0.460 ppm
2016-03-09	0.570 ppm
2016-03-09	0.320 ppm
2016-03-09	0.560 ppm
2016-03-09	1.50 ppm
2016-06-08	1.10 ppm
2016-06-08	3.00 ppm
2016-06-15	7.50 ppm
2016-09-15	1.40 ppm
2016-09-15	2.40 ppm
2016-09-15	4.70 ppm
2016-09-15	3.20 ppm
2016-11-30	0.930 ppm
2016-11-30	4.70 ppm
2017-03-15	2.20 ppm
2017-03-15	5.30 ppm
2017-03-15	0.820 ppm
2017-03-15	0.380 ppm
2017-03-15	1.80 ppm
2017-03-15	0.380 ppm
2017-03-15	0.460 ppm
2017-03-15	0.240 ppm
2017-03-15	0.570 ppm
2017-03-15	1.20 ppm
2017-03-15	2.60 ppm
2017-03-15	1.20 ppm
2017-03-15	2.30 ppm
2017-05-31	1.60 ppm
2017-05-31	0.170 ppm
2017-05-31	4.90 ppm
2017-06-06	2.10 ppm
2017-06-06	3.00 ppm
2017-06-06	6.20 ppm
2017-06-06	4.70 ppm
2017-09-12	1.60 ppm
2017-09-12	3.40 ppm
2017-09-12	6.00 ppm
2017-09-12	4.80 ppm
2017-09-12	4.90 ppm
2017-12-14	2.30 ppm
2017-12-14	3.50 ppm
2017-12-14	5.90 ppm
2017-12-14	4.60 ppm
2018-02-27	3.40 ppm
2018-02-27	6.30 ppm
2018-02-27	3.70 ppm
2018-02-27	0.310 ppm
2018-02-27	5.20 ppm
2018-02-27	3.00 ppm
2018-02-27	2.00 ppm
2018-02-28	1.90 ppm
2018-02-28	1.60 ppm
2018-02-28	1.000 ppm
2018-02-28	1.90 ppm
2018-03-01	0.610 ppm
2018-06-06	2.60 ppm
2018-06-06	5.30 ppm
2018-06-06	4.30 ppm
2018-06-06	1.60 ppm
2018-06-07	0.330 ppm
2018-06-07	0.350 ppm
2018-06-07	0.700 ppm
2018-08-29	2.50 ppm
2018-08-29	5.00 ppm
2018-08-29	3.60 ppm
2018-08-29	2.90 ppm
2018-12-04	5.30 ppm
2018-12-04	3.80 ppm
2018-12-06	3.40 ppm
2019-02-13	5.20 ppm
2019-02-13	1.10 ppm
2019-02-13	0.540 ppm
2019-02-13	2.10 ppm
2019-02-13	3.80 ppm
2019-02-13	1.70 ppm
2019-02-13	2.50 ppm
2019-02-14	1.40 ppm
2019-02-14	1.40 ppm
2019-02-14	0.260 ppm
2019-02-14	0.260 ppm
2019-02-14	0.550 ppm
2019-02-14	0.550 ppm
2019-02-14	0.690 ppm
2019-02-14	0.690 ppm
2019-02-14	0.350 ppm
2019-02-14	0.350 ppm
2019-02-14	0.310 ppm
2019-02-14	0.310 ppm
2019-02-14	1.60 ppm
2019-02-14	1.60 ppm
2019-03-05	3.70 ppm
2019-04-29	1.40 ppm
2019-04-29	5.00 ppm
2019-04-29	4.10 ppm
2019-09-04	1.60 ppm
2019-09-04	3.00 ppm
2019-09-04	5.40 ppm
2019-12-17	1.60 ppm
2019-12-17	3.20 ppm
2019-12-17	5.50 ppm
2019-12-17	4.80 ppm